solemnly swear [a marauder's fanfiction]

chapter six: the human menagerie

Sirius has been acting oddly.

Remus doesn't think he's imagining things; he knows him well enough after two years to tell. It's not a big change, just a litany of details that have added up over the last weeks of term to equal odd.

It's only a detail that Sirius Black never sits in a confined space like a train car without sprawling his legs out over the seat, regardless of whoever's lap is in the way. And yet.

"Your go, Pete," Sirius says from Remus' right. He's pressed tightly against the window, knees together, feet on the floor. It's odd.

"What's the score?"

"Three hundred and ninety-two to three hundred and fourteen," Sirius says. "You lot have got some catching up to do."

"What else is new," Remus says.

Peter puts down a faintly smoking card. "What're you two gonna do when you get back, then?"

"Drive Mum mad, no doubt," James says, grinning. "It'll be great. Bet you five Galleons she tries to give you a haircut this time," he says to Sirius.

Sirius' eyes widen in horror. His free hand flies reflexively to his hair, falling dark and wavy to his shoulders. "I think not."

"Just a trim, you ponce."

"I'm not letting whoever does your hair near mine."

James flicks a violently sparking card at him.

"Oy!"

"Sure you've got to go back to those gits so soon?" James asks. "Mum and Dad said they'd take you all summer, no problem."

"I wish. It was a fight getting her to agree to two weeks." Sirius glares at his cards. "They don't want me around but they won't let me leave."

Peter wags his finger at James, faux-scolding. "They think you're a bad influence."

"And they're right, aren't they?"

"At least I'll get to see Andromeda," Sirius says. "It's been forever, she wasn't at the big family Christmas party. Was the worst not having her there— it's tradition that we go hole up in the pantry and hide from everybody. This year I had to bloody mingle."

"Where was she?" Remus asks.

Sirius keeps his eyes on his cards. "Expect she was traveling. She's got enough sense to keep away from large gatherings of those blood-sucking freaks."

It's just a detail that Sirius hasn't met his eyes in weeks, but Remus notices.

***

Last summer hols were fun and everything, but Sirius' stay this year will be even better. This time, James has mastered the Refilling Charm.

"Think we're old enough?" says Sirius, peering at the label of a tall dark bottle. The two of them are on the floor of the darkened sitting room, it's well past midnight, and James has successfully unlocked his parent's liquor cabinet. "Mum said this stuff stunts your growth."

"You chickening out?"

Sirius makes a face at him. "No way. Here, open this one."

He passes the bottle to James, who stabs the top with a corkscrew and twists. "This thing doesn't work."

"You're doing it wrong."

"Am not, the metal thingy isn't doing it right."

"You're not digging it in enough, you've got to really stab it."

"You know what—" James pulls out his wand, points it at the cork, and says, "Waddiwasi." The cork flies out and smacks him in the nose. "Ow."

"You're a genius. Pass it here."