astronomy • marlene mckinnon

eleven

"I still don't know why I'm agreeing to this." Remus sighed as he sat down on the couch in the Gryffindor common room on one February evening.

"Because you love us." Sirius grinned at the boy and sat down next to him.

"It's dangerous-"

"Remus." James interrupted, annoyed at the repeated conversation. "We've gone through this. We know it's dangerous and we know the risks okay. All three of us have agreed to do it."

"But-"

"You're our friend Remus," Peter smiled at him. "Let us do this one thing for you."

"There are other things you can do besides being illegal animagi!" Remus hissed at the three who just shared an annoyed and tired glance.

"So," James said, ignoring Remus. "We have everything in position except for the thing about the mandrake leaf. We need to have it in our mouth for a month, from one full moon to the next."

"How am I supposed to eat then?" Sirius groaned.

The other three gave him an incredulous look and the raven-haired boy muttered an apology.

"Well, the full moon's tomorrow." Remus shrugged, looking very tired and frustrated. "How are you going to stay a full month with a mandrake leaf in your mouth without anyone suspecting anything?"

James, Sirius, and Peter sighed and sunk back on the couch before Peter suddenly sat straight and grinned at the other three.

"I have an idea."

The next evening, after Remus had gone to the hospital wing, making sure that there were enough people in the common room, James laughed loudly.

"Yeah okay." Everyone gave a quick glance to the spectacled boy before rolling their eyes and going back to their work. "I doubt you could even keep your mouth shut for one day Black, let alone one week."

"I'll have you know that I can easily keep quiet for two weeks, it's Peter we should worry about." Sirius scoffed, equally as loud as James.

"Please," Peter crossed his arms. "The jokes on you because I can go three weeks without speaking."

"Three weeks without hearing either of you speak?" James raised an eyebrow. "Why not make it a month? The one who can keep quiet till the end gets two galleons."

"You're on." Peter nodded.

"Don't you even think about having a bet without me!" Sirius threw up his hands as he looked at the two.

By this time, the entirety of the Gryffindor common room was staring at the three boys with wide eyes. The thought of the loudest boys in the house staying silent for a month, ensuring peace and quiet was almost impossible to believe.

James noticed everyone watching the three and grinned. "Alright then, we start now."

The other two nodded with sly grins and the three boys headed to their dorms and the common room broke into whispers.

"Well," Lily spoke up as everyone started betting on who would be the first one to speak up. "This is going to be a very relaxing month. Marlene! We're supposed to be studying."

"What? Yes, very relaxing." Marlene nodded at Lily before she turned to the group of Gryffindors in front of her. "Are you kidding me? Definitely Sirius. Have you met the boy?"

"Nah," A sixth year shook his head. "Potter would be the first one to crack."

"I don't know," A seventh year shrugged. "Pettigrew seems more likely to crack first."