How to Trip a Snake [Sirius/Marauders]

Sirius left his fellow Gryiffidors to discuss James' upcoming date. He had given his two cents and that was the best he could do. Hopefully their insightful Remus could do a little better than someone who ignored most advances when it came to anything vaguely resembling love. The only love that he knew was what he felt for the other Mararuders. They had become everything to him despite being surrounded by blood relatives.

And that was enough thinking about that for one night. He checked the map again. Filch had moved down a few floors, but was still well away from them. Their mischief could continue. It looked like all their pranks had the chance to be completed. If they were lucky, they could get back to bed without anyone being the wiser.

He grinned as he ran around the long table, creating a spell line around it. Coming back to the head of the table, he murmured quietly to himself, laying in the spell for fireworks to start going off as Slytherins crossed over the line to sit. They would be small ones seeing as it wasn't wise that they try and burst through the ceiling, but it would scare the pants of the lot of them. It would be quite a spectacle for the rest of the school as well.

He grinned down at his work as the other boys joined him. As James' put an arm around him, he raised a brow. We're Transfiguring all of them? He questioned, surprised about this new bit of magic that was going into the large scale prank. He shrugged, smiling at his friends. Well, got the line laid. The fireworks will show off their piggy parts all the better.

While his friends were important to him and this little dilemma with Lily required attention, getting out of here was more important. No, getting out of here without being caught. He bowed his head over the map. Grey eyes were staring at the various passage ways they had found over the years. He didn't notice his hair changing, but he scratched at his neck as he felt something appear there.

With a small frown, he felt the new band around his neck. Knowing his friends, he already knew it was a flea collar. They were always joking with him about his canine form so it was to be expected. Pulling out his own wand, he cast a small sharm on it to add a little deathly flair to it. Small skulls and spikes appeared, adding to the punk look that accompanied the lock and chain that always hung around his neck.

Looking back at the map, he ran a hand through his hair. To avoid both we'll have to go down this corridor, He stared, pointing down a hall that would take them down one of the most dimly lit halls in this gargantuan place. However, there was one staircase that would bring them up a floor. Two issues. We have to run past the grand staircase, and that's the staircase that likes to be finicky, He announced, pulling on his ebony hair.

Or not so ebony. He blinked at the hot pink between his fingers. He let out a small sigh, shaking his head and deciding that he would leave the color until the spell wore off. It should last into tomorrow given the late hour right now. Let's get the fly boy tucked in, Rem. It's well passed his bed time. He folded the map carefully, standing and leading the way into the entrance hall to stride across to the hall into the required corridor. Only luck would help them get passed Filch and out of sight in time. Then it would take plenty of navigating to get by anyone else roaming the otherwise empty halls.

Sirius ignored the press of his friends as they looked over the map with him. He frowned a little as his method of getting passed Filch was questioned. Given that Eden was wandering about as well, there was little hope of going another way and not getting caught. They had trusted him to get them back to the tower without issue before and they really shouldn't worry about it now.

He brushed the ire off and glanced back at James. It wasn't out to get you. You were just trying to have your way with me, even in your delirious state, He joked. He shot a grin at James even as Remus picked him up like a child. He folded the map, shaking his head at his friends. Poor little Prongs. It so late passed your bedtime, He cooed, reaching out to pinch James' cheek.

With a last chuckle, he turned to carefully make his way up the tricky stairs, eying them warily. Now that Remus was carrying the other Marauder, he really wished that there was another way up, but this was really their only safe option.

Once at the top of the stairs, Sirius shifted to the side, looking over the map and finding that the next two floors were clear. A break if he ever saw one unless Filch decided to Apparate upstairs for some reason. We should be good for a few floors. Fourth floor has Slughorn on his way down, but he should be easy to get around, He said quietly. If they were lucky, the big prank would go off beautifully in the morning, James could get some sleep soon, and they could all get back to the tower without a detention their first week of school. Good luck to them.