No Control // Wolfstar

Twelve

Jack-o-lanterns cloud over the Great Hall accompanied by the massive spiderwebs covering the paintings in the corridors. Halloween is right around the corner, leaving students excited for the three day weekend Dumbledore had granted them.

Laughter drowns behind the loud whistle blowing from the small black kettle. Hagrid shifts over, removing the kettle from the open fire and refills the three teacups on the table. The fire heats the small hut, keeping the draft at bay. 

"Hagrid," Sirius continues, "Where would you even get a hippogriff?"

"Same place yeh get yer dragons," Hagrid answers as if it were obvious. 

"Of course," James says nodding cluelessly. "Honestly Sirius, it's like you don't know anything about magical creatures!"

Sirius laughs, setting aside his cup of tea. "Right because I'm the one who got a P in Kettleburn's class."

James rolls his eyes lazily, "At least I passed the class. You barely made it through Flitwick's class awake yesterday!"

Hagrid follows their banter, when his laugh shakes the hut causing both James and Sirius to bounce in their seats. "Reckon yeh were brothers yer 'ole lives!" he bellows. 

"We're practically best mates," James says slinging an arm over Sirius' shoulder. 

"Only since last week," Sirius adds, taking a playful swing at James' stomach. 

Hagrid smiles, "Could'a fooled me." A clap of thunder breaks in the air, silencing the outside world for a split second. Hagrid peers through his window and shakes his head. "Gettin' late boys. Yeh should go back soon."

Sirius slides off the large chair and offers a hand to James.

"We'll see you later, Hagrid," James says opening the door. Sirius glances up at the sky, noticing the darkening grey clouds moving against the pearly blue sky. "I'll race you back to the castle."

"Loser kisses McGonagall," Sirius shouts taking off.

The boys race up the hill at lightening speed as the clouds grow heavier above. A light drizzle begins to fall just as they make it back to the wooden bridge. The boys entertain themselves by attempting to duel each other with various jinxes and hexes. By the time they make it back to the castle, James is running in slow motion and Sirius has grown an extra foot taller. 

James catches a glimpse of Peter's well recognizable blue shoes rounding the corner and shouts, "Oi Peter!" 

Peter's smile widens upon seeing the two boys and hurries over to meet them. "I was looking for you all over! Remus was going to make me do my homework!"

The more comfortable James became with Sirius, Peter had also let his guard down. He even went as far as sharing his food with Sirius in the dorms during the late hours of the night when they were too lazy to sneak out. 

"Come on, we'll go show Moony how to have a good time," James says leading the way. "Should've told you where we were, Pete."

"We'd need a bloody map to find each other in this place," Peter comments.

James nods in agreement, the idea sticking to the back of his mind. "You know, you need a nickname Sirius. So you'll officially be a part of our group. I'm Prongs, Pete's Wormtail, and Remus is Moony."

"What the hell kind of nicknames are those?" Sirius questions.

Peter gives James a look out of the corner of his eye and innocently shrugs as James answers, "Just kind of happened last year. One of those three am ideas."