Liquid Luck [Sirius Black]/editing

chapter 30

In hindsight, we should've known that allowing James Potter to plan a prank on his own and follow through on said prank without so much as approving it would be a bad idea.

"Chiara, what exactly is the plan here?" Remus asks his voice edging nervously. "Should we really have such trust in James to plan this thing? You, yes. I trust you. Do I trust James? No. Uh uh. Nope. He's going to end up killing us with this one, I just know it. If I end up dying, please put down my cause of death as death by Idiot."

"I'm confused. What's our part in this?" Peter asks from the other side of me, cracking his knuckles nervously. "He was going too fast when he explained. I don't think we're ready for this."

"James is a proper genius. Will you lot calm down?" Sirius says coolly. "Trust the man."

"One, he is not a man and two, what is the plan, Sirius?" I look at him expectantly.

He scratches at the back of his neck. "That I don't know. But I'm sure everything will be fine!"

Famous last words.

Not seconds after does James come swaggering into the hall with a Cheshire-like grin. The three boys and I watch as he shuts the Great Hall doors and mutters some incantation on them to keep them secured. Then, as if on cue, the entire lot of students and teachers alike grow mermaid tails for legs. Some lose their balance and end up flopping onto the floor and off the bench. My legs remain which normally wouldn't be any cause for worrying, but with what comes next, I panic.

James floods the Great Hall.

It all happens so fast. One second I'm laughing at merman Sirius and the next, I'm drowning.

Death by Idiot.

*

"Woo-hoo." James whistles, clucking his tongue and waving a hand over my very soaked, very unconscious body. "Our little stunt really took the life out of her, eh?" He chuckles heartily with Remus, Sirius and Peter following suit.

Catching drift to some of the laughter going on around me, my golden eyes fly open and I gaze confusedly at the boys surrounding me. "Where am I?"

"You're on the floor." Remus replies with a smirk.

"Okay." I say before shutting my eyes again.

Remus mutters the Hot-Air Charm and it isn't too long until I'm entirely dry. I hear faint shuffling and whispering around me and before I know it strong arms lift me, bridal style, off the ground. "Sirius, you don't have to do this." I mumble sleepily.

"Shh," Sirius coos, "go to sleep."

"But I don't wanna." I reply stubbornly refusing sleep, pouting. "I wanna talk to you. Say Sirius, how many stars are there in the sky?" I ask, nuzzling further into his warm chest.

I feel his chest rise and fall in laughs at my delirious babbling. "Too many to count, that's for damn sure. Trust me, I've tried." He replies, his attention settled down on me with a smile of adoration.

In front of us, Remus and James squeal and giggle like schoolgirls, not-so-casually sneaking glances back at us with knowing smirks and excited looks. "Well, Sirius is my favourite star of all." I say as a dazed smile graces my features.

Sirius' eyes fill with something that they always seem to whenever I'm around. I don't quite know what that something is, but what I do know is that no one else has ever looked at me the way he does. "Do you know what Chiara means?"

"Dad says it means bright or light, but it could also mean famous. I am pretty famous, so I think it's a good fit." I grin, keeping my eyes gently closed, enjoying the soothing bounces in his steps.

"I think so too. But I think this light needs her rest, darling. Go to sleep, I'll make sure you get to your dormitories safe and sound." Sirius whispers in a soothing voice.

"Okay. Goodnight my guardian angel." I sigh dramatically. "Oh, and remind me to never let James plan another prank."

"Hey!"

*

The next morning arrives sooner than I would have liked, but hey, who doesn't love a good pillow to the face to start up another wonderful day. "You know, I'm beginning to think you take pleasure in this early morning abuse, Lilian Potter." I muse.

"Me? Lily Evans taking pleasure in smacking you, Chiara Black, across the face with my pillow?" She strokes her chin as if in thought. "Yeah, that pretty much sums it up." She stalks away to the bathroom to get ready for the day and I emit a laugh after her with a small shake of my head.

"Where were you last night?" Alice asks, sitting up in her bed. "You didn't come in until late. I know this because you weren't here when I went to bed."

"I was on the floor." I reply casually, picking up my wand and with one quick spell my bed makes itself perfect.

"I know what happened." Marlene says smugly in a sing-song voice as she exits the bathroom, toothbrush in hand. "Black carried her in." At those words, Alice squeals excitedly and bounces in her bed. "You kept trying to get him to sleep in your bed with you, it was adorable really."

"I'm a cuddler!" I blush crimson. "You all know that. How many times have I forced you lot into late night cuddles? Dorcas, how many?"

"Too many." She admits.

"Exactly, thank you Dorcas! And anyhow, I was delirious...you can't blame what I do in my subconscious. I was so out of it from nearly dying after our prank last night."

That's when Lily appears again. "Oh yes, don't even get me started on that! You and those gits took it too far."

"Yeah, maybe. Or maybe we took it just far enough. Either way, James is not allowed to plan our pranks anymore."

"Figures it'd be that arrogant toe-rag Potter's idea." Lily scrunches her nose up in disgust.

As I make my way down for breakfast after showering and changing into my robes, I fall into step with Sirius. "You know, I really hate walking."

"Good morning to you as well, sunshine." He chuckles. "And are you hinting you want a piggyback ride from me?"

"No. I just can't imagine how those poor first years feel. The torture of walking to classes day after day without the proper training that we've had." I shake my head from side to side sadly.

Sirius furrows his brows in confusion. "You were a first year last year."

"Yes and I despised walking. Now I'm simply hating it." I stop dead in my tracks as an idea invades my thought process. Sirius stops too and looks back at me with a questioning expression.

"What?" He asks.

"I'm going to start a business here at Hogwarts. I'll be giving first years piggyback rides to their classes! For a payment, of course." I smile, nodding at myself, the gears in my brain already spinning fast. "Firsties will surely take part, too! I'm a smash."

"But...you hate walking." Sirius points out smartly. "Why add the extra weight? It just doesn't make sense."

"Okay but humour me this, walking for free" I hold one hand up before raising my other hand higher, "versus walking with a tad bit more weight on my back whilst also getting paid! Don't be daft, Sirius."