Prologue

Or

The Idea

"I still don't think it's a good idea─"

"Oh, shut up, Moony, we heard you already!" James cut in impatiently.

"Yeah, well, it's still not─"

"A freakin'. Good. Idea." Sirius finished for him. "We get it." Remus rolled his eyes.

"Aw, come on, Moony," piped in Peter. "It's not that bad an idea."

"I know, but it's not right. I mean, it's just wrong to let Padfoot do that. Prongs?" Remus pleaded.

James scratched his head. "I know, but it's getting kinda desperate─"

"You mean you're getting desperate," corrected Sirius obligingly.

"─and that is the best way," James continued, ignoring Sirius' comment. "Even if I'm not sure I can trust him," he scowled at Sirius, "to behave." Sirius' expression became as innocent as Sirius could ever be─ not at all.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he sang, ignoring James' scowl and Moony's weary face.

"Yes you do," said Peter, serious for once. "You can't mess with this. Be serious."

"But I am Sirius," he answered, chuckling, which made James smile. Sirius was oddly named, when you thought about it, he reflected. It was one of the rare characteristics that clearly didn't define him─ being serious, that is. "But fine, I get your point. No messing around." Sirius sighed dramatically.

"Good," said a voice coming from the door. "'Cause it's time to sleep."

"Mo-om," whined James. "Have you seen the time?"

"Well, obviously I have, otherwise I wouldn't be talking about it," she retorted.

"Har, har," James commented. "Why would you even come in and tell us to go to bed? We're not twelve, you know. And even at twelve," he reflected, "I'm not sure you would have bothered."

"Probably," she replied, "because I want to sleep, and you may be good─ according to the number of detentions you get─ at pulling pranks, you definitely aren't, in any way, discrete."

"Why would you want go to sleep anyway? It's real early."

"Oh, yes. Give it an hour or two, and the sun will be up."

The Marauders smirked, apart from James, who rolled his eyes. Mrs. Potter sighed and tried again:

"Bed. Now. Or I'll confiscate your broom." She pointed at James.

"WHAT?" he screamed in shock. The others gaped. "You can't do that! That's immoral, that is. And why me?"

"Because," she started slowly, "I am your mother. Mo-ther. So, until you're seventeen, I can do whatever the hell I please to you, which─ unfortunately for my nerves─ does not apply to your friends."

"But I'm seventeen in…" he thought about it. "Yeah, okay, I'm not seventeen." James sighed.

"So, bed." Mrs. Potter clapped her hands happily, and just as she was about to leave, added in a sickly-sweet voice: "Oh, by the way, James honey, the next noise I hear, being your fault or not, makes you broom-less. Clear?"

"Clear," mumbled James, as he reluctantly made for his bed.

Once Mrs. Potter had left, Remus, who was already in bed, lied down, while Peter climbed into his. Sirius was left thinking─ uncommon, right?─ by the window-sill.

"Padfoot!" whispered James. "What part of the next-noise-I-hear-makes-you-broom-less threat did you not get?"

Sirius grinned. "Well, I was thinking─ shut up and listen," he added as James opened his mouth. "I was thinking that it was your broom, not mine. So, why bother at all?" he asked. James looked at him in horror.

"What a terrific mate you are," he stated.

"I know, I know," said Sirius happily as he jumped onto his bed, making a great─ yet somehow silent─ fuss of getting into it.

"Nox," one of them whispered, and the room went dark.