Chapter 10
"and then we'll... Padfoot? Padfoot!" James' shouts snapped him out from where he was trying to make out what Barty was mouthing at him from across the great hall.
"Hmm? What?" He looked at his best friend who was staring at him like he'd lost his head.
"Have you listened to a word I just said?" James sighed.
"Course I have prongs." Sirius grinned at him. "You said 'Padfoot!'"
"Before that?" James was not impressed.
"Oh, no." Sirius shook his head. Peter laughed.
"At least he's honest."
"It's the full moon tonight." James continued.
"It is?" Sirius' eyes widened. He had been so sure it was tomorrow.
"You always know when the full moon is, whats gotten into you?" Remus asked, he seemed half concerned, half angry.
"Just lost track of time Moons, you know me." Sirius tried to play it off cool.
"You are coming, aren't you?" Remus' voice had an almost desperate tone.
"Of course I am." Sirius laughed nervously. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Just, just checking." Remus replied.
"Don't worry, I'll be there."
He finally found out what Barty wanted, because he gestured for him to follow as Sirius followed James out of the great hall.
"I'll catch up with you." He said.
"Pads what?' James began, but Sirius had already rounded the corner, following Barty to a deserted corridor.
"What's wrong?"
"I need your help, I'm failing charms and I have a test today." Barty said, he looked more panicked than Sirius had ever seen him. "Reg said you're good at charms. Please I can't fail, my dad-"
Sirius cut him off. "Hey, it's okay, I'll help you. What are you covering?"
"Disillusionment charm." Barty let out a sigh and leaned back against the stone wall.
"And when do you need to be able to do it by?"
"First period after lunch."
"Right." Sirius nodded. Merlin only knew James was going to kill him. "We'd better get started then."
"Thank you!" Barty pounced on him. "I don't know why I can't get this spell."
"Come on, we need somewhere safe to practice." Sirius said.
"Let's go to my dormitory." Barty said. They waited for the noise of students to die down as they all went to class before they made a break for it. They made it to the Slytherins common room and then to the dormitory encountering only Filch's cat, but as he wasn't allowed to go into the common rooms, what was he going to do?
"Can you cast it at all?" Sirius asked, sitting down on Regulus' bed. Barty shook his head.
"Every time I try, it won't work." He replied. "I've been trying every day and it still won't work."
"Okay, I'll demonstrate it on an object first, it's easier to do on something else rather than yourself." Sirius grabbed the glass from Regulus' bedside table and set it on the floor in front of Barty. Taking his wand from where it was holding his hair up, he waved his wand, the white light enveloping the cup and then it melded into the floor boards.
"Reg wasn't lying." Barty looked amazed.
"Why didn't you ask Reg to help you?" Sirius asked.
Barty looked down at his hands. He didn't answer.
"Barty?"
"Reg wouldn't skip class to help and we never hang out just the two of us." He said as fast as he could.
"What?" Sirius was baffled. "Barty we can hang out anytime."
"You're not just friends with me because Evan brings me with him?"
"No, if I didn't want you there I'd tell Evan to stop bringing you." Sirius rolled his eyes. "We're friends."
"And you'll help me?"
"I'm here, aren't I?"