Gryffindors' Bet

James decided to practise Quidditch with first-years, for three reasons. First, the one he tells others, it is because as a team captain, he wants the future players to have more experience and be more qualified to play in the actual game. It's favourable for future teams, and makes Gryffindor's winning percentage higher. The second one, is because the first-years aren't allowed to have their own brooms, and James gets frustrated, when some of them claim the school ones are not good enough to become a better player. So James, during their practices, gives his broom to a lucky person, and takes the school broom, himself, to show these students, who are naive, the power of experience and how much more important it is than a quality of the broom. Though these practices really remind James to appreciate his new, better broom, because it's true the school ones are horrible.

But the last, the most important reason of James taking his time to deal with kids, who are sometimes nasty and even more immature than him, is… That they have no one to do it for them. Marlene is on the most of the practices, but she can't be on all of them, so James has to be sure to be the one to take the responsibility. And he can't forget the feeling of being encouraged by his parents to play Quidditch, since before Hogwarts, then becoming excited first-year and hearing he is not qualified enough to play. Many of the young wizards and witches had chances to learn Quidditch, before starting their education at Hogwarts. They are qualified. They probably have their own favourite professional players, and are only disappointed they have to wait another year or maybe even more.

Also, there are Muggleborns, who have no idea about what Quidditch is, but among these could be the greatest players of Hogwarts history, just the same. One rule about sports, every coach should remember, is that also those without experience could be talented players.

James sighs and flies down to look at the first-years that are practising with the balls, now, and to see, who made the greatest progress. And, who did the least. This year, there are a lot of mediocre players, but what single them out, is that they are persistent and systematic. It doesn't happen that often among first-years, since they are convinced they don't stand a chance to play in a team.

"How long are you going to take?" James hears Regulus next to him, so he turns around to beam at him.

"Isn't that Regulus Black?" he asks, and the boy rolls his eyes. James chuckles. "Long," he replies. "But you can join the practice, if you don't want to wait."

The first-years fly toward them and land on the ground beside. It takes one look at them for Regulus to grimace.

"You think I want to play with a bunch of Gryffindor kids? Even the older ones are annoying," he replies, and James is hoping he isn't among the older ones. James glances at possible players of the future Gryffindor team, and smiles, seeing their offended expressions. He wonders if they are angry, because of Regulus' words, or his House is the case.

"We don't want to play with some Slytherin!" one of the kids shouts.

"Lawrence, leave the rivalry on the pitch," James nags. The young boy pouts, but James is back to facing Regulus. He is surprised to see him in a pensive mood.

Regulus smirks, really, really slowly. "You know what?" he asks, a smug face, annoying the Gryffindor team even more. "It's actually good to know your enemy, right?"

The echoes of complaints and objections arise, but James is too stunned to actually react. Only Regulus, waiting for James with a quirked eyebrow, wakes him up.

"Ehm, do you need something?" he asks.

"A broom, from what I see you're using the school ones," Regulus states the obvious and James only half-consciously flies for the additional broom.

"Here," James passes over the broom, and Regulus sits on it, huffing a laugh.

"Wake up, Potter."

And James, does, wake up. He sees one Slytherin uniform flying up and a group of Gryffindor ones following him. It's such an unusual sight, that James has to shake his head a few more times, to actually be ready for today quidditch practise. How, again, Regulus ended up playing with them? Is James delusional or his Slytherin friend really did agree to play, just to spite first-year kids?

He flies towards Regulus and faces him. "You're more immature, than I thought, you know?" He yells, and flies away to avoid seeing his reaction. Regulus catches up with him, though.

"Said the boy, who runs away, before he hears the counterattack."

"And why won't you tell me said counterattack, now?" James bickers.

"Now, there is no point," Regulus rolls his eyes.

"So you came to me, just to chat?" James smiles widely.

One of the girls, Dolores, shouts, "Since when are you gay, Prongs!" and he laughs loudly.

"I guess, from when I was in my mummy belly!" he shouts back, because James trusts his teammates aren't any bigots. And looking at her wild smile, he has at least one supporter. When James glances at Regulus, the boy is surprised and has pink cheeks, clear on his fair skin. "Alright, my teammates, we don't have enough players for two full teams, so we'll split into two smaller ones and I won't release all the balls!"

Most of the first-years just grin at him, though there are some players that cast dubious glances at Regulus, as if to find out his intentions. James is content, he has opportunity to accustom the young ones to the concept of friendly rivalry and competitive partnership. They might need time to play as if Regulus is in their team, but they all are young. They need less time to get used to the unfamiliarity.

---

Remus is calmly walking to the library, when a wizard blocks his way. Remus looks up at him, to see Mulciber.

Why is he bothering him?

"I think you got the directions wrong," Remus tells him with a quirked eyebrow. Mulciber looks like he really wants to spit on him.

"I think you were my destination," Mulciber answers, and Remus can't help, but laugh.

"It's the first time a boy is hitting on me so openly," he says, and he can't even describe how smug he feels, when a flush is reddening Mulciber's skin.

"How can you be such a wanker, Lupin?" the boy asks with a shock on his face, that quickly fades away. In its place appears disgust.

"Well, I wanted to reject you in a gentle way, but you're far too rude for it. You're not my type, Mulciber," Remus tells him and tries to walk away, patting Mulciber on the shoulder, while passing him by.

Mulciber has other plans, though, because he grabs Remus' arm and leans his face in, to mouth a sentence into his ear. Remus wants to joke about being clingy, but all his humour dies, when he hears, what Mulciber says next. 

"You might want to say hi or goodbye to your friend," he whispers. Remus feels his body tense, and Mulciber's hand on his arm tightens its grip.

Remus has different scenarios in his head, now. A lot of them. He is mostly scared, that what the Slytherin boy next to him, said, is true. And he can't risk it. There is the possibility, that for some reason, Mulciber wants Remus to believe he did or is about to do something to one of the Hogwarts students, the one that Remus is acquainted to. He wants Remus to believe in something false. But how could anyone be sure? It would be great for his werewolf senses to detect lies, but he has no such an ability. Remus could just provoke Mulciber to tell him the answers, he is interested in. Would he fall for it, though? It is important to know, who was captured and where, since without it, Remus could have problems with understanding the situation and making the plan. He highly doubts, that said person is in real trouble. No injuries, that can't be healed are in the picture, because it would be too risky. Because Remus knows, who is behind it, so it is too easy to get Mulciber kicked out from Hogwarts, if something happened. So it isn't dangerous in a physical way. Not for the captured one. It is still threatening for Remus, though.

He has too many secrets, that can be revealed under the right circumstances. And for the right circumstances, it is enough to say a few right words to Slughorn and you have all the ingredients for Veritaserum you need.

The most important question is, why would Mulciber need Remus for something? And why just now, during their last year? Also, for what? Despite lots of possibilities, the Slytherin boy is the most likely one. And by Slytherin boy, he doesn't mean Mulciber.

So after quick analysis, Remus decides to put the most basic and standard question he could ask in this situation.

"What do you want?"

He can't see Mulciber smile, but he feels it, when their cheeks meet.

"I want you to come with me," Mulciber says, and draws away from Remus.

"To the said friend, you mean?"

"Of course."

Remus waits for Mulciber to start walking, and when he does, Remus tags along. It is an odd sight, them both, accompanying each other. He wonders what benefits could Mulciber have from wizards and witches seeing them together. He surely doesn't want to hide their presence. Maybe they all know what Mulciber plans to do? But no, there are other Houses, and if someone would know some plan, it would be only Slytherin. If Remus is right, and the target of this encounter is Sirius, then would Mulciber want Sirius to know, they are both behind whatever is going to happen? But why would Sirius be in the crosshairs? Well, Remus has enough common sense to know, he himself is the most probable reason.

But what if Mulciber believes, that Sirius treats him as a friend, and will want to rescue him from him. And if he wants rumours of him taking Remus somewhere to spread? But that doesn't make sense. James or Peter would have tried to find Remus, first.

Not if they're locked somewhere.

It would be possible to overpower both of them by surprise, since they're not used to being on their guards, all the time, in case some Slytherin will hex them. Remus thought, that James is a possible target after approaching Regulus, but he watched him for a while, and realized that only he himself is the only one being targeted. Remus doesn't know why him, though? How is Sirius different from Regulus. Not that Remus would want James to get hurt, but why only him, not James is being targeted? Or maybe it's because his approach is more… open?

Either way, even James could be taken by surprise, if they were attacked.

But why?

It still doesn't suit Remus well, that Mulciber would use him as a bait. Even if he really was friends with Sirius, the prince of Slytherin wouldn't risk his reputation to chase after Remus and Mulciber. Or maybe Mulciber is stupid enough to believe so?

Or maybe Mulciber wants everyone to see Remus with him, because whatever he is going to do, he wants Remus to be linked with it as an accomplice? Does he simply want to turn Remus and Sirius against each other?

Mulciber suddenly takes a turn, and Remus follows. They walk through the Hogwarts corridors in the way that seems aimless, but the more they walk, the fewer wizards they pass by. Finally, they come to one of the classrooms, after, one, short Alohomora. Remus is first to enter, because Mulciber gestures him to do so. It smells like a trap, but James would say, that if someone knows it's a trap, it stops being a one. It's a start of a bravery act.

Remus sighs, though, because, he doesn't feel brave at all. He just feels stupid.

And he senses a coming spell and smells a mist, half a second before Mulciber cries, "Imperio!"

Remus suddenly feels, rather unexpectedly, a really pleasant sensation of his thoughts being wiped away. Only happiness is left, but it's vague and untraceable. It's almost floating, the same as his thoughts. He is aware of himself, somehow, but he can't form a question and he doesn't even want it. Remus is relaxed, truly relaxed, and is only dimly aware of someone beside him. Some words, spoken by a familiar voice, echo in the empty spaces of his brain. He isn't interested in whoever speaks to him, or what he tells him. He finds himself going somewhere, but he can't make himself entertained by the brief instruction of what to do, when he can just do it, without thoughts.

The students and teachers that enter his mind, leave it a second after. He sees things, but it's only fleeting and fading. There is no room for thoughts to stay in.

It's only, when he stands before a specific person, that there is one stable name, but it quickly fades away, too.

"Lupin, you came to pester me?" echoes somewhere in his brain. Remus is vaguely aware of the person turning his head away from him, to look at something else, and Remus knows he should pull out his wand and tell an incantation, before the person will look at him again. It's his only chance, so by some weird force, that is his hands at the same time, he takes his wand and quickly points it at the person in front of him.

"Crucio," he pronounces what he knows should be said.

Remus isn't fully aware of what's going on. There is a shout "Expelliarmus!" at the same time, but it sounds like it's near him and far away from him, despite its impossibility. He is aware, though, that something is wrong. Actually, it's only now, that Remus is starting to sense that. It's more a feeling than a thought. Something is wrong.

"Are you bloody," a familiar and enjoyable voice fleets through his mind, again. "Are you under Imperius?" the same voice says, and there is something slightly different about the tone, that Remus is vaguely conscious of. He can't sense what does it mean, but the pitch is higher and the person sounds as if they're out of breath a little. Remus knows this person is grabbing his arms, from both sides, and it hurts, but he can't say anything about. It hurts, but Remus feels like it doesn't matter. "Are you under Imperius?" The voice repeats. "Remus, look at me, you have to- you bloody have to get a grip," the person says in a tense voice, and shakes Remus.

Something is going on behind, but Remus can't find it in himself to turn around. The person that was grabbing his arm, lets him go and runs for something, but is back the moment later. He takes a book from a table and puts it in Remus' hand.

"What's going on?" a female voice speaks, and many whispers follow.

"We are studying, madam," the pleasant voice of the boy next to him sounds. Remus is more and more aware of his surroundings, and he tries to remember something, keep some thoughts in his mind.

"I believe I heard a spell I shouldn't have heard," she says. A thought passes by him, that he shouldn't stand back to the woman, and it's a moment of clarity. It's only, when Remus focuses on the boy in front of him, though, that he really snaps out of it.

He feels the sharpness of his feelings and the clearness of his thoughts, that were dimmed by this emptiness and echoes in his mind. He looks at Sirius, who stand in front of him, just one look, and Sirius' shoulders drop, and he feels relieved to the point Remus has never seen him.

"It's probably Crucio," Sirius admits with a grimace, and a few gasps surround them. The younger students look around confused, why would this spell make that much of a commotion, but the older ones look simply shocked.

Remus is aware of his doing, but is still horrified, that Sirius just tells about it, like using one of the Unforgivable Curses isn't punishable by a life sentence in Azkaban. Sirius knows that Remus was under Imperius Curse and still wants to tell what happened? And Remus has no idea, what could he say to fix it. He turns away to face the Hogwarts' librarian.

"It's unacceptable!" Madam's Pince voice sounds terrified. "I must immediately-"

"Because we were arguing!" Sirius interrupts. "We were arguing what is worse, Imperius Curse, or Cruciatus Curse, and Remus got affronted and yelled that of course it's Crucio, we weren't using it against each other, he didn't use it on another human being," Sirius explains it simply.

Remus has an urge to look at him, but instead he nods.

"But I've heard Expelliarmus!" someone cries, and Remus sees the girl, who is a year or two, below him.

Remus opens his mouth to answer, but it's again Sirius that explains.

"I was joking," Remus looks at Sirius in time to see him rolling his eyes with an annoyed expression. It's a perfect explanation, really. Sincerely plausible. They were arguing about Unforgivables, Remus shouted Crucio a bit too loudly, Sirius jokingly called Expelliarmus. And Sirius came up with it within seconds. He didn't really need time to find believable and false version of recent events. Remus realizes that Sirius is a great actor, and it makes him think. Were there situations, when Remus was simply played by him? Though it still was a perfect plan to protect Remus, even if it was him, who cast a spell that was meant to hurt Sirius. "I yelled Expelliarmus, laughed and said: see? I would disarm you, before I would feel the pain."

Madam Pince stands and gapes at Remus and Sirius, seemingly not knowing what to do.

"Madam Pince?" Remus looks at the librarian with a sheepish gaze. It works magic on her, probably reminding her, what kind of student Remus is. After that, she furrows her eyebrows.

"Alright, but you better leave the library for today," she suggests, though it sounds more like an order.

"Of course," Sirius says, takes his books and pulls Remus by his wrist to the door. Remus nods to madam Pince along the way, but she looks at him, with still furrowed eyebrows.

When Sirius and Remus are alone, Sirius kicks the wall and grits his teeth trying to look like he is just irritated, but Remus can see he does so, because of the pain from the kick. It unusaly impulsive of Sirius, but doesn't it suit him? To be impulsive? 

"Sirius, thank-"

"Shut it," Sirius rests his hands on the wall, hiding the head between arms and takes a few deep breaths. He looks unsettled, but Remus shouldn't be surprised, right? Someone wanted Sirius to get hurt. Remus believes Mulciber did all these things to make Remus suffer from consequences of using Crucio, but Sirius might just think that it was only about him being the target. It must be truly unsettling to think someone is trying to attack you. It gives a person not a moment of peace. "Who cast Imperius on you?" Sirius asks with his head still hidden. 

Remus looks at him and feels the worry bubbling in his stomach.

"I think you should calm yourself down, first," Remus tries the calming tone. He feels like he should be chasing Mulciber down, but he knows there are things a person has to do in a steady pace, so there is no mistake. And it still spreads an unreal aura around, like it didn't happen.

Sirius tilts his head up, just enough to meet Remus' gaze. And when Remus' eyes meet Sirius' one, he has to fight the urge to take a step back.

"You are lucky that Hogwarts is dumb enough to not use the Veritaserum in crucial moments," Sirius voice is low, and his cold tone gives Remus goosebumps. "You think they wouldn't send you to Azkaban, if they knew about Imperius? You are naive to believe that wizarding world is just. There is rarely something like a fair trial. And whoever cast Imperio on you, their family would eat yours alive."

A collision with reality is something usual for Remus. It's almost as if there is nothing surprising in this world, as long, as it is bad. But he still feels the kick. If it's Sirius leg that strikes him, or is the world materializing its own, just to knock Remus down, again, he doesn't know. He sees the anger on Sirius face, though, the consequences of these few decisions that were made a few minutes ago.

"You're right, I'm sorry," Remus says. Sirius exhales a deep breath and put his forehead on his arm.

"Who was it?" Sirius asks, in much more tranquil tone than earlier.

"I don't want you involved in this, anymore," Remus admits, and Sirius looks up at him sharply. "I know you are involved in this either way," he tries to explain, before Sirius bursts. "You are aware that someone made me curse you, and it means there is a wizard, who wants to hurt you between the castle's walls. I know. And I'm sure you will get to know who it was soon enough," he says, remembering the corridors filled with students. "But I'm going to do this my way, and I'll need some time to plan a revenge on him," Remus tries to communicate with Sirius also with his eyes.

Sirius, though, only laughs gloomily.

"You better learn how to fight Imperius Curse, first," he says, and Remus can't shake off the impression that Sirius is not at all calmed down.

He tries to come to him, but Sirius suddenly straightens, pushing himself away from the wall. He casts one last glance at Remus, looking him up and down, and storms out without saying a word.

It's Remus' turn to rest, and he just sits down in the place he stood. He doesn't get up for a while, but somehow, Sirius took them to the place, where no one is passing by.