The Light

Chapter 9- The Prank

Hermione poked her head around the corner, eyes sweeping the expanse of corridor. It was empty. Remus said it would be.

Turning back around, she nodded, "Empty."

Remus met her gaze, before turning to address the other three. "You know the plan," he said. "Infiltrate. Guard. Spike. Leave."

"Simple and succinct," Sirius commented refreshingly. James turned to look at him in surprise.

"Succinct," he repeated. "That's new for you, Pads."

"I've tried this new thing. You know, learn a new word every day and then it use it in a sentence?"

"And let me guess," Peter said. "Today's word was 'succinct'?"

"Oh no. That was last Wednesday's word," Sirius replied, before adding hastily at the other's looks, "I'm a little behind, okay?"

Before Remus could open his mouth, a sharp whistling broke the emptiness of the corridor and Hermione frowned, peaking around the corner again. Her eyes widened and she managed to hold back a gasp, before her head reappeared.

"Professor McGonagall!" She hissed incredulously.

"What's she doing here?"

"Weren't you supposed to monitor the goings-on of the kitchen, Pete?"

Peter stepped back, arms raised in surrender as he said defensively, "Hey! I did as I was told! I haven't seen her for the past couple of weeks!"

"Couple of weeks? Jesus, Pete, I thought we said a couple of months!"

Freezing, Peter's mouth opened, before he gritted his teeth, seemingly deep in thought. As he reached his conclusion, he sucked in his lips, nodding and said, "Yeah. You know, now you mention it- that rings a bell."

"Does it?" Sirius asked sarcastically. Peter merely smiled and nodded again.

"Fuck," Remus muttered and Hermione's eyes widened as her previous teacher cursed in front of her. He noticed her reaction, grinning sheepishly, before it fell and he peered around the corner. "Okay. We're going to need a change of plan."

James nodded, folding his arms. "What do you suggest?"

"We still need to infiltrate... It's just we might need a slight detour..." Remus frowned, trailing off.

"A distraction!" Hermione announced, her voice an excited whisper. "We need a distraction." Her mind was on overdrive, and she knew she was working against the clock as the clicking footsteps of the deputy Headmistress loomed nearer. She felt that familiar spiking of adrenaline and had to admit that she had missed this feeling; this bated trepidation of thinking on her feet. "We need a distraction," she repeated and her gaze fell on Sirius and James.

"No," James refused straight away. "Not again."

Hermione winced. "Please, James..."

"Why us? Why are we the bait? Why are we always the bait? Is there something prematurely baitable about us?! Am I expendable to you people?! What is it??" His arms flung about wildly, eyebrows wagging, voice ranging on high-pitched.

"Because you're too incompetent to be anything else," Remus muttered, rubbing his eyes with his fingers, as though he were stressed. Hermione heard this and couldn't stop herself from laughing. Although he didn't look at her, his lips seemed to curve and widen.

"Well, better acquiesce to the lady's plan with alacrity!" Sirius said, clapping his hands together. At four blank looks, he dropped his arms and said, "Thursday and Friday's word."