The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

Late Night Chatter

Late Night Chatter

"Psst... Rey." Remus sniffled in his sleep and rolled over a bit, his face smashed against the mirror, forming a sort of pig-nose as his nostrils smooshed on the glass, his breath steaming up the image. Sirius snickered, grinning and said, "Oi, Moony... it's lucky you don't have a load of bogeys up in there."

With a sigh, Sirius leaned back in the bed and lay the mirror beside him on the night stand, looking over at it.

James had told him about the walk to the cave and the inferius that had tried to drag him back into the water. Sirius had never seen the inferi but he knew that they were nothing to be taken lightly - even Orion and Walburga had spoke of them in whispered tones with worried expressions. After all, an undead body controlled by dark magic... seriously, could anything be more frightening a notion? And another thing, too, was that if it was an undead body controlled by dark magic, that meant there was a dark wizard somewhere, performing the dark magic that was controlling the body... Who was it? And why would they have put an inferius in the waters of an old, algae infested cave in the middle of nowhere like that? What purpose could that serve?

He lay staring up at the ceiling, pondering.

Suddenly the bedroom door creaked open and he looked over and there was James. "Hi."

"Hey."

James slipped into the room and closed the door behind him, he was wide-eyed and sort of sweaty about the forehead.

Sirius pushed over and patted the bed beside himself.

James came over and climbed in, laying flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling, his Adam's Apple bobbing. Sirius rolled onto his side. "You ever heard the one about the swimming inferius?"

James rolled his eyes up to Sirius's face.

"The dead sea."

James laughed in spite of himself.

Sirius grinned. "Do you know the most popular vacation spot for a inferius?"

"Where?" James asked.

"The Dead-iterranean." Sirius was on fire. "What does it take to become an inferius?"

"Stop," James laughed, then, "What does it take?"

"Deadication, of course," Sirius said, grinning.

"These are the stupidest jokes I've ever heard," James said, but he was smiling and color had returned to his face, so they'd served their purpose and he was thankful that Sirius had this gift of taking things that upset him and making them better. He let out a breath of relief.

Sirius petted James's shoulder. "If that undead bastard had taken you under, I would've gone and killed him all over again," Sirius vowed.

James smiled, "I know. I'd do the same if one of them got you."

"They wouldn't like me, I'm too sour. I reckon you taste right sweet compared to me."

James snorted.

"Actually, you taste rather good yourself," came a voice from behind him and Sirius turned 'round to see Remus had woken up and pulled his smooshed nose off the glass.

"Oi, hey, look who it is, it's Moony Snoresalot," Sirius said, reaching for the mirror and pulling it over, holding it up so Rey could see both him and James.

Remus got an amused expression on his face, "Should I be concerned that you lot are in bed together?"

"Yes, I've found myself a new boyfriend, Remus, since you've been away. Haven't I, James deer?"