Breaking Black (A Sirius Black Love Story)

Chapter 35

Without quidditch to worry about, James, Sirius, and I spent much of our last few weeks in the room of requirement, drinking the Animagus potion like there was no tomorrow. Still, progress was extremely slow, and we still looked like strange, mutant, half animals.

"What do you say, a little prank on the Slytherins as a little end of term gift from the Marauders?" James suggested while he absentmindedly twirled his wand, making golden bubbles come out of the tip. It was already the last night of term. Glancing up at the clock, I saw it was only eight o'clock. Maybe, if we got lucky, the Slytherins wouldn't be back in their common room... Maybe we could somehow shove them into the Black Lake...?

"Why not." I agreed. Might as well go out with a bang. "Moony, Wormtail, you coming?"

"Got nothing better to do..." Remus sighed, shutting the usual book that was in his hands. Sirius jumped up off the couch he was sitting on at the thought of a prank. James grabbed his invisibility cloak off the table and hid it in his robes. At least the thick headed boy learned to always have the cloak after our last run in with Filch.

"They're probably out by the lake." I explained as we exited the room of requirement. "Lily says Snape usually hangs out with his cronies in the afternoon so Lily goes to the library with Mar."

"So you basically know where Evans and Snivelly are at every hour?" James asked slyly.

"In a general sense... Yes..." I trailed off, raising an eyebrow at my mischievous friend. "Why..."

"Nothing, nothing... It's just, I may need to know where Lily is at precisely noon tomorrow..." James said nonchalantly, hopping over a vanishing step on the stairs.

"Why, so you can try to romanticize her?" Sirius snorted.

"No, so I can romanticize her!" James insisted, messing up his black hair as we passed a group of giggling Ravenclaw girls.

"What, do you have a foolproof plan?" Remus chuckled. We all knew what James' foolproof plans entailed, especially when it came to Lily.

"A plan that won't result with you being hexed and Lily rejecting you?" Peter laughed. James shook his head and rolled his eyes. I guess there's one quality James has that Lily might actually like: he's persistent.

"Well, I'm not getting involved with this foolproof plan. Good luck to you Prongs, but keep me out of it!" I mumbled as we stepped out of the castle and into the fading sunshine outside. Sure enough, just as I predicted, there was a large group of students in green and silver ties huddled by the lake.

Quiet like mice (haha, Peter), we crouched behind some bushes to listen to the Slytherins before we came up with a plan to somehow get them into the water from where I was spying, I recognized a few people facing me: Snape, Regulus, and a red headed boy in our year, Avery.

"Now take a look at this!" One of voices said excitedly. The platinum blonde boy in the middle who I recognized as seventh year Lucius Malfoy stood up and rolled up his sleeve, but I couldn't see what they were looking at. All of the girls in the group, including Sirius' cousin Narcissa and Sterling Spies gasped in horror or shock. The all of the boys clapped him on the back or looked at his forearm with envy. For a split second when a boy moved his head out of the way, I caught a glimpse of something black on his left arm, like a tattoo.

"When did you get it?" A fifth year called Mulciber gasped, holding his hand over Malfoy's arm in wonder.

"Last night. The Dark Lord finally trusts me. He hasn't given me an assignment yet. I expect soon, though." Malfoy explained proudly. At the mention of the Dark Lord, the warm summer temperature seemed to drop ten degrees, sending chills down my spine. Narcissa placed a careful hand on Malfoy's shoulder.