The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix - Part Two

What Do You Say, Potter, Do We Have A Deal?

"No, I'm Sirius." And he threw back his head and laughed...

Frank closed his eyes and counted slowly backwards from ten. When he got to two, he opened his eyes and looked directly into Sirius's. "Listen. Sirius. I know you're freaking out right about now, but in a second Mad-Eye is going to come in here and start questioning you and if you don't get your damned wits in line, he's going to bloody book you, alright? You cannot be goofing off with Mad-Eye because he will crush you. Do you understand?"

Sirius stared at Frank defiantly, his chin slightly raised.

"Did you threaten that woman?" Frank asked.

"If I did, she would've deserved it, the heinous hag."

"But did you?"

Sirius grinned at Frank. 

"Sirius, this is real life, alright, you have to bloody answer!" Frank slapped his hand on the table in frustration.

"Is this the real life?" Sirius asked.

Frank looked at him, "What?"

"....or is this just fantasy?"

"Sirius, that's what I'm telling you, it's --"

"Caaaaught in a laaaandslide, no escape from re-aaaalll-ityyyyy..."

"Stop. Stop right there," Frank said, realizing what Sirius was doing.

"Open your eyes... look up to the skies and seeeeeeee ---"

The door banged open and in stumped Mad-Eye Moody, his face red with frustration, wooden leg clunking with every other step he took and he looked at Frank, "Get out."

Frank hesitated, "Sir - Sirius is, well he's having a bit of a melt down --"

"I'M JUST A POOR BOY, I NEED NO SYMPATHY!"

"Sirius!" Frank hissed.

"I said get out, Longbottom," Moody grumbled.

Frank looked at Sirius, then sighed and went out the door.

Mad-Eye picked up the paperwork Frank had left on the table and started looking it over, reading the summary of allegations.

"I'm easy come, easy go... little high, little low..." Sirius was still singing, though decidedly quieter than he'd been a moment before.

Mad-Eye lowered the parchment to look at Sirius.

"Anyway the wind blows doesn't really matter.... to me.... to me..." 

Mad-Eye turned on Sirius, "Well boy, it'll damn well matter when you're locked in our cells in the dungeons here, won't it?"

Frank Longbottom was pacing in the corridor. "Bloody hell. Bloody hell. Blooood-ddyyy helllll."

"Frank?"

He turned 'round and saw James, Lily, Gideon, Fabian, and Newt Scamander coming toward him. "Oh thank God it's you," he said, looking specifically at James. 

"Frank, what's going on? What's Sirius here for?"

"He's been arrested," Frank said, and he ran his hand through his hair nervously, "He's been arrested because a woman claims he attacked her and threatened to loose a werewolf on her and her friends tomorrow night during the full moon. He - he's not helping his case very well."

"Why? What's he saying?"

Frank hesitated.

"Frank?" Lily asked gently.