ᴅɪsᴘᴇʟ ᴍʏ ʙᴏʀᴇᴅᴏᴍ | ᴍᴀʀᴀᴅᴇᴜʀs' ᴇʀᴀ

Chapter 5: Business offer

At dawn, after the full moon. Not far from Whomping Willow

"No offense, Moony, but you gave us quite a ride. What's got into you? You were just mad."

Sirius, in his soiled and torn clothes, was holding Remus by the elbow; battered and tired James was on his other side. Peter busily waved his wand, restoring their clothes and applying bandages to Lupin's most bleeding wounds.

"Not the slightest idea... You know, I don't remember a thing," Remus painfully hissed when Wormtail tightened the bandage. "Thank you, Peter. I think that's enough, Madam Pomfrey will do the rest. You, by the way, didn't think about working in St. Mungo's after school?"

Peter just shrugged, thrusting his wand into back pocket of his jeans, "I was thinking of going to Committee on Experimental Charms."

"Merlin!" Sirius moaned. "It's like four in the morning! Can we refrain from discussing curriculum and future career?"

"By the way, Padfoot, you're the only one who hasn't decided yet," Remus remarked, once again tripping over himself. "Even James knows what he wants."

"I always know what I want," Potter chuckled. "Moony, let's take a rest, eh? I have no strength to drag you."

"We can always carry him in our arms," Black laughed.

"Padfoot, don't change the subject."

"Why are you so boring, Remus?" Sirius closed his eyes with a sigh, sinking to damp grass next to his friend and grimacing. "I have no idea where to go. You know, I wanted to become an Auror but honestly – "

"Constant vigilance!" James barked unexpectedly.

"Right. James, for example, is pretty damn good at Quidditch and he's already been invited to traineeship."

"Padfoot, you fly no worse than I do, do not cry the blues. You could've also become a wonderful Chaser."

"James," Black said condescendingly, tilting his head. "Do I look like a man who wants to fly on modified broom with dubious goal of throwing balls into hoops? I don't even know how you manage to," Black grimaced, "to sit on it."

"There are footstools and, by the way, you can always order a special saddle."

"Saddle? Prongsie, this hair and these hands," he said, pointing to his head first and then showing his hands with long aristocratic fingers, "and this gorgeous ass, too, won't shake in some saddle, blown by the streams of assault wind in order to get a mad ball in the head. I was born for something more refined."

"Black, do you see yourself now? Take my word for it, mountain troll is more refined than you. And, apparently, even cleaner. And smells better."

"Sure! I spent all night with my tongue sticking out hovering over Remus, trying to not let him break the door! And at this time, by the way, your huge horns were entangled in the curtains and if not for Pete – "

"Let's not quarrel," Lupin said conciliatorily. "At least you don't have detention tonight."

"Weird feeling," Black smirked, "James and I are as free as wind and our most liable friends are responsible for what they've done."

"It's not fair, by the way," sleepy Peter muttered. "Why was I punished too? I defended lady's honor."

"Speaking of ladies," Sirius grinned, "what did Parker tell you?"

"That I should've warn her about my savage habits, because she also wanted to try, but was afraid to beat Malfoy on her own," Remus sighed and, seeing bewilderment on faces of his friends, added, "Just quoting."