Fortunately, Madam Pomfrey was able to undo the hex with a few flicks of her wand. She still lectured all of them on misuse of dangerous magic.
"As if we all wanted to look like bigfoot!" James complained as they left the hospital wing, skin still tinging from the hair growth.
"It had to be Severus. He coated the sweets in one of his potions, I know it." Sirius seethed.
"Yeah, we all know it, mate." James replied, "Don't worry, we'll get him back."
"I'm so sorry!" Peter wailed, for about the hundredth time. "I really thought they were from my mum!"
"It's fine, Peter," James patted his shoulder, "Just wish you'd given them to us first thing on a Monday - then we could have at least bunked off Transfiguration."
"I demand retribution!" Sirius shouted, raising his wand dramatically. Remus laughed, James did too,
"And you shall have it!" He replied, pushing his glasses back on his nose, "Patience is a virtue, Black. Vengeance like this takes time. Don't suppose you've got any other brilliant ideas, Remus?"
"Sorry," Remus shook his head. His heart was still pounding from the terror of it. If he had seen Snape at that moment he would have throttled him; never mind pranking him.
"I'll help you, James," Peter piped up, "I'll do anything, I won't be scared this time, I'll..."
They were just turning the corner which led to Gryffindor tower when somebody behind them called out,
"Sirius."
All four boys turned. Sirius made a small shocked noise. It was Bellatrix Black.
"Whaddyou want?" He asked, looking down and scuffing his shoes on the flagstone floor. It was the most un-Sirius posture imaginable, Remus thought. He also noticed that James stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with his friend.
"Come here and address me properly." The seventh-year witch snapped in response.
Sirius didn't move. Bellatrix withdrew her wand - Remus was shocked, and for the first time since he'd been at Hogwarts, he felt frightened.
"Come here," she said, in a low voice, "Or I'll make you. And it won't be a childish little hair growth charm, I promise."
Sirius walked forward, shaking his head at James, who tried to follow. They all watched the cousins speaking in quiet voices at the end of the hallway for long, uncomfortable minutes. Sirius barely looked up from the ground the whole time. Finally, she patted him on the head, then turned on her heel and left. They all exhaled, relieved. Sirius walked back to them shakily.
In silence they all entered the portrait hole and sat down at their usual sofa.
"Alright, Sirius?" James asked, first.
"Yeah." He nodded, looking paler than usual, "She um... she wanted to invite me for tea. On my birthday. I think my mother must have made her, probably held a family conference. Try to bring me back into the fold."
"Just because you're in a different house?"
"And the company I'm keeping," he smirked at them all.
"So when's your birthday?"
"Two weeks. The third. I have to go to this tea, though, Bella's not joking about knowing some really vile curses."
"We'll do something afterwards, then. Something good, yeah?"
Peter and Remus nodded enthusiastically, but in the back of Remus' mind he remembered that the third was the night of the full moon.
* * *
