Clair de Lune

James was next. The hat barely has time to touch his head before shouting, "GRYFFINDOR!"

James beams, feeling very self satisfied.

...

Besides, any minute now, those dung bombs he'd planted ought to be going off.

James jumped into the seat next to Sirius. "This is brilliant! We're all together!"

---

After James was sorted it was Alice's turn and she was sorted Gryffindor as well.

Sirius nudges Remus with a little grin. He didn't expect to be here either.

Lily nods when Remus leaves, leaving her and Severus alone together.

"Sorry about this, Sev. Hope this doesn't ruin your day," she says, sympathetically. She plugs her nose as she talks, making her voice sound extremely nasal.

"S'all right. I'm still pretty excited about the Sorting and the feast."

"Ugh, it's too much," Lily gasps, escaping the compartment and getting some fresh air. Poor Severus.

"Yup!" Lily admits proudly. "They were positively thrilled to learn I was a witch. They haven't really seen much magic because I'm not allowed to do it at home, but when I was younger it spilled out a lot."

"Oh, neat! My mum's a teacher too, but she teaches elementary school. Da's a lawyer."

Lily finds Remus really easy to talk to as well. Easier than James, anyway.

Severus looks a bit put out, but nods. "S'all right. Just bad luck on my part, I s'pose. You don't happen to know any spells to get rid of the smell, do you?" he asks, waving his hand in front of his nose.

"Oh, which college? Both my parents are muggles," Lily asks, still interested.

They get to the smelliest compartment and Lily opens the doors, bracing herself for the smell.

"Ugh. Sorry, Severus, the smell is awful. This is Remus Lupin. He says he's the one responsible and he's come to apologize."

Severus looks miserable, but cheers considerably at the sight of Lily. "Oh. Well. All right."

Lily smiles back and shakes Remus' hand. "Nice to meet you, Remus. Is your name from Roman mythology?"

The redhead just ignores Remus' insistence. She knows James was responsible.

Lily gapes at Remus a little. "You're willing to take the fall for that berk?" she asks, then sighs. "I suppose I'd do the same for Severus and Alice. This way."

She leads him back towards where they'd been sitting, the smell getting worse as they go.

"I'm Lily Evans, by the way."

Lily shoots one last glare at James before following Remus down the aisle.

After they're a suitable distance away, Lily stops. "What is it?" she asks, trying not to sound annoyed. It doesn't really work, James has irked her.

Lily frowns and shoves her things into her robes pockets (she had gotten dressed ahead of time so she wouldn't have to change later), then follows the black head of hair.

"That's the same boy who dropped his glasses earlier," she says aloud, then unceremoniously opens the compartment door where James, Peter, Remus, and Sirius are sitting.

She turns to James with a raised eyebrow and a glare, just like her mum does when she's mad at her da. "You pranked a chocolate frog that my friend Severus opened, and now he's going to be miserable all day. I think you ought to apologize," she states clearly, lightening up on the glare a bit. He is an eleven-year-old boy, after all.

"It'll be worth it!"

"Sure do!" James pulls out his cloak and puts it on. He vanishes from sight, but you can still hear him giggling.

Apparently Sirius actually had to say that Remus and Pete could take what they want. James already knew or would just do it anyway.

"I put the lot on the seat for a reason you know."

He is at once haughty, petulant, and grumpy.

Sirius pulls out a small silk sack with a green 'B' emblazoned on in fine embroidery. He tosses six galleons to the snack lady and loads up. He's not stingy though, and puts his heap on the seat between he and Remus and sort of shrugs at the others. They can take what they like. His mood is still about sour because in his future is that smarmy bugger Lucius Malfoy, his new best pal.

At this point the snack lady comes by with the trolley. "Oh yes!"

"Anything from the trolley, lovelies?"

"Chocolate frogs... four pumpkin juices...er... some sugar quills..."

James looks over at Remus and Peter. "You two want anything?"

"Ha!" shouts Sirius with glee. "See? You are a girl!"

The rest of what Remus and Peter is irrelevant.

"Fair enough," James blushes.

"So, swat, what's your name?

Sirius shakes his wet head sending water all over the compartment. Then he gets up and plops down next to the swot and grins at him.

"I'm obligated to tolerate this tosser seeing as he's a cousin and all, but you're an objective third party. Did Jamie here scream like a girl or did he not?"

Sirius is nodding his head up and down like this is going to get the swot to say yes.

"Aggggghhhhhhhh! My hair! My hair!"

Water dumps all over James. "Aghhh!" He reaches up to pat his head. Oh... "Pheeeeew... Thanks, mate. I'd rather be wet than on fire."

He sits back up on the chair and glares at Sirius. "Not a girl..."

"And Peter, do us all a favor and put the wand away."

Sirius falls back, wet, clutching his sides with laughter.

"You girl, you absolute screaming girl, and you were on fire, and saved by the swot."

Sirius is laughing so hard his sides are aching.

Sirius, still holding James down quite effectively, tips back his head and howls like a hound which breaks apart into giggles.

"That's all right by me. If I'm the dog, that makes you prey!"

Sirius makes his point by attacking James with more tickling.