lux, remus lupin¹ ✔

LVII. POKER NIGHT

POKER NIGHT!

MAY 1977

6th Year

• • • •

"Someone's going to get hurt." Holland told Sirius in Transfiguration, as they were left to practice the spell they were learning, from where she was sat on a desk.

Sirius scoffed, "Hardly." He shook his head, continuing to mess around.

"We're not learning that spell until next month," Lily told him, "Now, stop trying to cast a human transfiguration spell and be a good boy and turn your teacup into a gerbil."

Sirius sighed, "Okay. Just one more try."

"Sirius no!" His friends told him, their cries falling upon deaf ears, as he casted the spell, their little area of the classroom filling with smoke.

The students coughed, waving away the smoke with their hands.

"Bloody hell, Padfoot!" Remus coughed, as Professor McGonagall marched over to the group.

"Mr Black." The woman said with a sharp glare, her lips pressed into a thin line, making the Gryffindor boy spin around in fear.

"Professor, I-I-I didn't," Sirius stuttered, "I mean, I-I wasn't."

McGonagall raised an eyebrow, "Wasn't what, Mr Black?"

"Um, Professor," Marlene spoke up, making the woman turn to her, "As much as I would enjoy watching you make Sirius wee himself, I think you way want to hold off on that for a little bit."

"And why is that, Miss McKinnon?"

"Because Sirius just turned Holland into a rabbit." Dorcas Meadows told the Professor, pointing towards the rabbit that was perched where the once human Holland was sitting on the desk.

They all stared at the white ball of fluff.

"Oh my." Professor McGonagall gasped.

Remus turned to glare at Sirius, "You turned my girlfriend into a rabbit?!"

"I mean... you did once say that she's as cute as a bunny..."

***

"I can't believe you turned me into a rabbit," Holland glared at Sirius, as she sat on a bed in the Hospital Wing, surrounded by her friends, "I told you someone would get hurt."

"I mean, technically, you're not hurt." James shrugged, immediately regretting it as the Irish girl turned her glare to him.

"I have rabbit ears and a rabbit nose!" She snapped.

"But you're not hurt." Sirius reminded her.

"Someone's about to be." Holland threatened, making Sirius take a step back.

***

A group of sixth years sat around a large, oblong table in the Room of Requirement, which had been made to look like the inside of a casino.

"I-I think the look suits you, Holly," Margaret told her best friend, "I really do."

Holland smiled at the blonde girl, resting her head on her hand, "Thank you, Maggie."

"How long are you going to be... like that?" Alice Fortescue asked, as she and her boyfriend - Frank Longbottom - took their seats at the table.

"Madam Pomfrey said about a week for the the ears, nose and whiskers, maybe a little less for the tail." Holland answered.

James burst out laughing, "There's a tail?!"

"Yes, James, there is a tail." The dark-haired girl nodded with a sigh.

"Hey, if I rub your left foot, will it bring me luck?" Lily smirked.

"It will get you a kick in the shin." Holland said with a tight-lipped smile, making her friends chuckle, as her boyfriend kissed her temple.

"Excuse me! May I get your attention please?" Sirius asked, standing on top of his chair, "Thank you. Welcome to the first monthly poker game! Thank you all for being able to come here tonight. And thank you to our special guest - Thumper's cousin - who was able to come all the way from her burrow in the forest to join us here tonight," He added, gesturing to Holland, who just chuckled, "Let the pokering begin!" He exclaimed, sitting back down;.

"You've never played poker before, have you?" Bronwyn asked.

"Not once." The Gryffindor shook his head.

"We didn't think this through, did we?" James asked Margaret, as the Hufflepuff dealt the cards.

"Nope.

"Brilliant."