Sirius' Birthday
The trio set off and started interrogating older students as to where the kitchens were.
After hours spent searching, Frank Longbottom came up to them while they were yelling at the retreating form of a hufflepuff sixth year to 'spill their secrets'.
Frank was a third year Gryffindor that James liked to talk with about quidditch.
"Heya. Kingsley told me you're storming the castle in search of the kitchens? You should probably be a little more inconspicuous; someone told McGonagall what you're doing."
"We can avoid Minnie easily", James said, "do you know where the kitchens are, though? We still haven't found them."
Frank grinned, "same floor as the hufflepuff common room. It's behind a portrait of a bowl of fruit, you just tickle the pear and the doorway opens up."
They all cheered excitedly and started running in that direction, when Frank called them back.
"Wait! Alice was in the hufflepuff common room with a couple of friends and she said McGonagall was standing at the entrance of the kitchens looking out for you three."
They all deflated, until Peter's eyes widened as he remembered the cloak. He nudged James and mouthed the words to him, who in turn visibly brightened up again.
"Thanks, Frank! Bye!" James shouted as he grabbed the sleeves of Peter and Sirius and ran down the corridor.
"Merlin! What are you doing, James?" Sirius yelled, confused.
"The cloak! Peter's a genius! We can just use the cloak to get past her."
Sirius gaped, "Peter, you're incredible."
The three carried on running, "You two are just utter idiots. How'd you forget the cloak? It's a pretty big thing!"
Sirius snorted, "It's invisible though. Guess it must be invisible to our memory as well!"
Neither James or Peter laughed, leaving Sirius explaining the joke over and over again.
"Sirius, we get it but it's just a terrible joke." James told him as they grabbed the cloak from the dorm room.
On the way out, they ran into Remus entering the dorm.
Sirius jumped up and down, "Lupin! Guess what! So, James and I forgot the invisibility cloak existed and then Peter reminded us of it so I said 'Guess it must be invisible to our memory as well' Funny right?"
Remus' lips involuntarily quirked up and he breathed out a small laugh before walking over to sit on his bed.
"See?" Sirius turned to the other two, "It is funny!"
"We're going to the kitchens to get some snacks for Sirius' birthday. Want to come?" Peter asked.
Remus looked over to them and shook his head, "I'm alright. Going to read for a bit."
"Well the party will probably start a little after dinner. We're also going to invite Marlene, Mary and Lily." James said, the three boys heading out the door.
"I probably won't make it."
Sirius turned around, "What? But it's in our dorm?"
Remus shrugged, "I've got things to do."
"The party will still be happening after lights out, so you'll just be late."
Remus shook his head, "No. Sorry, it's just that I'd rather read in the common room than join your party."
Sirius narrowed his eyes and James tried to ease the tension, "I know you're not very social, but don't you want to hang out with us and celebrate Sirius' birthday."
Remus shrugged again, "Not like we're proper friends or anything. Happy birthday, though."
Sirius stormed out the room, Peter and James struggling to keep up with him.
"I thought he was part of our group! We pranked with him! We sit with him in classes!" Sirius grumbled, as they walked out.
Peter picked at his fingernails, nervous to say his thoughts, "I mean… he never sits with us, it's always us moving for him. And he does turn down our offers to hang out outside class or meals every time. I think he just doesn't really like us."
James held the cloak tightly, "Why not? He's friends with Lily! Why does he like her more than us?"
Sirius continued storming forwards in silence and the other two soon dropped the topic, especially wanting to be quieter the closer they got to the kitchens.
As they got to the floor, they spotted McGonagall in her animagus form. She was sitting by the floor a few feet away from the portrait.
The boys made sure they were completely covered by the cloak, and made sure to stay completely silent.
As they got to the portrait of the fruit, Sirius gestured to the others, who immediately understood him.
Even though McGonagall couldn't see them, she'd definitely see the portrait being opened.
They stood there, mindlessly gesturing to each other, until luck was on their side. Horace Slughorn popped out of the kitchens, and the three rushed in after him.
As soon as the door closed they sighed in relief. Unluckily, the door opened a moment later, and McGonagall stood behind them.
"We did it!" Sirius cheered, "Now for cake!"
"Who knew we were so good at sneaking around? Who needs Lupin, huh?"
McGonagall coughed from behind them and the three boys slowly turned around.
"Now I don't know how you three made yourselves invisible, but the kitchens are strictly forbidden for students due to health risks. Detention tomorrow morning, my office. Now off you go."
They sighed, stepping out the room and begrudgingly walking back to the dorms.
"Mr Black. You forgot this" McGonagall said, standing behind them with a birthday cake on a small platter.
"What?" Sirius asked.
"Happy Birthday, Mr Black" she said, passing him the cake before walking away.
James nudged him with his shoulder, "told you she was cool."
The boys got back to the dorms, dropping the cake off before going to the great hall for dinner.
Remus wasn't anywhere to be seen, in the dorms, common room or great hall.
"Oi! Marls! It's Sirius' birthday today, do you wanna come to our dorm for a little party?"
Marlene turned to James, "Sure. Can I bring Mary?"
"Course."
Sirius leaned over to join the conversation, "We were going to invite Evans as well, do you know where she is?"
Marlene shrugged, "Probably hanging out with Snape. She probably wouldn't come anyway, against the rules and all that."
James rolled his eyes, "She doesn't have an ounce of fun in her."
Peter and Sirius' eyes widened; sitting at the other side of the table as James, they spotted her walking over beforehand.
"Oh like you do", Lily said standing by the table", "You're such a prat, Potter."
She picked up a bread roll before storming back out the hall.
James folded his arms, "You two could have told me she was there."
"Where's the fun in that?" Sirius and Peter laughed.
After dinner, they made their way back to the common room. As soon as they walked through the portrait, they spotted Remus sitting in one of the window alcoves. He was reading a letter, a blank expression on his face and fingers tightly gripping the paper.
Sirius grunted, "Who cares about him. If he doesn't want to be friends, then fine."
"His loss", Peter nodded, walking over to the stairs of the boys dorms.
James stayed staring at the form of their roommate before giving in and following the other two.
They quickly tidied up the room, Sirius chucking anything of Remus' harshly onto the boy's bed.
"You're going to break something soon", James said, taking Remus' quill from Sirius' throwing hand.
"His parents can just owl him replacements", Sirius mumbled back, picking up one of Remus' school textbooks and throwing it. It hit the post of the bed and dropped to the floor.
James rolled his eyes and picked it up, placing it on Remus' bedside table, "That may be true, but it's still rude."
Peter laughed, "Those textbooks cost a fortune, I really don't think his parents will be too happy about having to buy another copy after two months."
James shrugged, "They're not that much."
"How expensive can a couple of school books be?" Sirius agreed.
Peter shook his head, "Forget it."
A knock sounded from the door, and the muffled voice of Marlene yelling came through.
James threw the door open and let the two girls in.
Mary looked around, "This is a terrible party. You only have a cake, nothing to drink, and no music."
"I've never thrown a party before, and we're in a school dorm, how would we get music or drinks?"
Marlene revealed a cartoon of milk, "Grabbed this at dinner. Anyone got any chocolate? We could make hot chocolate."
James nodded, clambering over to his trunk and bringing out a variety of chocolate bars.
Marlene and James worked on making the hot chocolate, it took several tries from each of them trying to heat up the milk but they finally got it.
The other three moved the pillows off all the beds, for everyone to sit on. And grabbed every snack they could find.
Sirius went over to Remus' bed, looking in his bedside table and finding a drawer full of snacks. There were packets of crisps, chocolate, sweets, and biscuits in there.
He grabbed it all and brought it over to the circle they had made.
"Merlin Sirius! Where'd you get all that?" Mary asked.
Sirius grinned, "Just brought it with me."
The group ate, drank, and played a variety of games. Peter showed the girls how to use James' slinky, James brought out his gobstones, and Mary showed them the joys of truth or dare.
No one had a lighter for the candles on Sirius' cake, so he pretended to blow them out.
"What'd you wish for?" Marlene asked.
Peter turned to Marlene, "Who wishes for things when you blow out birthday candles?"
"You don't do that?" James asked; Peter shook his head.
Mary gasped, "Everyone does that!"
Sirius shrugged, "I didn't know you were meant to do that. I've never done this before."
"You need to make a wish, Sirius! I'll relight them", Mary laughed.
Once she was done pretending to light the candles, Sirius blew on them again.
"What'd you wish for?" Marlene asked again.
"Cake", Sirius grinned, ducking down and licking the side of it.
"Ew, that's so gross!"
"So uncivilised, Mr Black!" James laughed, ducking down to do the same thing.
The party ended around midnight, when Peter started drifting off to sleep. The girls tiredly left the dorm and went back to their own.
Sirius and James starting getting ready for bed as soon as the girls left, Remus coming into the dorm a few minutes later.
He glanced at his bed, full with all his belongings. Sirius and James watched him from the other side of the room, while he carefully took everything off the bed before laying in it and closing the curtains.
Sirius walked over to his own bed and got under the covers when James appeared and sat down.
"I know that food wasn't yours, Sirius." James whispered, "You told me your parents don't let you have sweets when we first met. And then you tell us you just have a huge pile of muggle snacks?"
Sirius sighed, "Alright… It was Lupin's."
"You stole his food?" James whisper-yelled.
Sirius nodded, and James angrily sighed.
"You've got to own up to it and apologise, Sirius."
"I will" He lied.