build me up buttercup [s.black]

[3] Pyjamas

It was just past eleven o'clock on Wednesday night, and James Potter was pleading with his best friend.

"Are you sure you can't come to my parents' house for Christmas?" He whined across the dormitory. "We'd have such a good time, and they're happy to have you!"

"You know I can't, Prongs." Sirius said resignedly, lazily levitating a pair of socks with his wand as he lay sprawled across his bed.

"But you're not even going home!" Peter said. "Your mother said they don't..."

He trailed off, his face burning red as James glared at him.

"No, go on." Sirius said coldly. "They don't want me."

"I didn't mean..." Peter mumbled, busying himself with his Charms homework.

"Anyway, my darling mother may not want me home for Christmas, but she specifically told me to stay at Hogwarts."

Sirius paused, still looking determinedly at the pair of socks which were still floating in the air.

"We all know what happened the last time I tried to come to your house for the holidays." He muttered, absent-mindedly rubbing his hip - which still bore the marks of the punishment for his last act of defiance.

"No, yeah. Fair enough mate." James backed down quickly, glancing wildly around the room for a change of subject.

"Have you started your History of Magic essay yet, Padfoot?" Remus asked from his own bed, clearly thinking along the same lines.

"Oh, nah." Sirius said, now making the socks whiz around the dormitory in fast circles. "Forgot about it."

"Best get on with it then, hadn't you?"

Sirius smiled at Remus, Moony always could tell when Sirius needed a distraction.

"Yeah, suppose I had better." He replied sarcastically.

"Or..." James started, grinning.

"Or?" Remus arched an eyebrow, grinning right back.

"Or we could go for a little jaunt? Feels like months since my invisibility cloak had a leg stretch." James suggested.

"A jaunt?" Sirius asked, his lips twitching at the corners. "What exactly did you have in mind, Mr Prongs?"

"Oh I couldn't possibly say, Mr Padfoot." James' eyes were twinkling. "But it would be a real shame if, when the Slytherins woke up tomorrow, all of their clothes had disappeared."

Without another word, Sirius, Remus and Peter all leapt out of bed. Sirius stood with his hand raised to his forehead in a mock salute.

"Ready when you are." He said stoutly, his own eyes gleaming mischievously.

***

Aisling was sitting at the Gryffindor breakfast table, concentrating very hard on not falling asleep in her scrambled eggs. She couldn't remember being so busy before in her life. Quidditch training was now three times a week, and fifth years were being given piles upon piles of work which needed to be completed before spring term started. It got so much, in fact, that Aisling found herself being sent to the hospital wing and prescribed vitamix potion by Madam Pomfrey on more than one occasion.

"But this really isn't the long term answer." The Matron tutted as she handed Aisling the phial of blue liquid. "Rest and relaxation, that's what you need. You're working yourself too hard."

It was true that Aisling now spent the majority of her time hunched over large textbooks in the library or the common room. She was also developing rather pronounced dark circles under her eyes. She knew that she would have to find some way of getting rid of them before she went home, or her mother would fuss. As this thought occurred to her, a large tawny owl dropped a letter in front of her, knocking her glass of pumpkin juice onto Remus's Transfiguration homework.