Of Pranks and Leprechauns

Of Pranks And Leprechauns

Author's Note: Written for rosewilliams based on the prompt: First line: It was Thursday when it started snowing. / Last line: They were smiling.

~~~~~

It was Thursday when it started snowing. Sirius sat on the sill of the large bay window overlooking the tangled back garden of Twelve Grimmauld Place. The Galleon-sized snowflakes floated as if suspended in the crisp night air; taking their time to alight on the ground, they collected lazily in drifts of crystalline white under the glow of the London streetlamps. The gnarled branches of the apple and elm trees in the yard soon grew gilded with a silver frost that shone against the midnight grey of the cityscape.

It was utterly peaceful.

But Remus was already three days overdue from his meeting with the Irish werewolf pack that lived on the River Shannon, and Sirius grew more agitated with each passing hour despite the serenity outside his window.

Dumbledore seemed to pay his concerns no heed when he asked about Remus' whereabouts at the Order meeting earlier that evening. He seethed at his dismissal, figuring it did not bode well. He had promised Remus he would not do anything rash, like leave Grimmauld Place to look for him. Sirius Black was many things, but above all he was an honourable man--but his patience quickly grew as tattered as Remus' robes.

By nine he was frantic with worry and his patience was worn right through. He sprung from the sill and strode to the front door, donning his black Wizarding cloak to avoid detection; then he set about methodically unlocking all the wards that kept him bound to Grimmauld Place. (The wards he'd set up himself when he first moved in, as a show of loyalty to the Order when they expressed concern about his ability to stay out of danger.) He'd never broached them, not once since he came back to this hellhole, not even to see Harry--

But Remus' absence was too much to bear in the utter loneliness of the cold evening.

Just as he started the final incantation and wand flick sequence to dismantle the last remaining ward on the front door, he heard the telltale clicks of the locks tumbling. He stepped back just as Remus opened the door and crossed the threshold.

"Sirius?"

Remus took in the cloak and the wand, connected by a thin wisp of orange energy to the glowing ward around the handle. He frowned, obviously upset at the sight, and was just about to dress him down when he stopped short at the expression on Sirius' face: the incredible mix of worry, relief and defiance that colored his friend's thin features. Remus snapped his mouth shut and sighed.

Sirius blinked, then recovered. "Moony, where the hell--?"

Remus closed his eyes and nodded, his lined face contrite. "I'm sorry, Padfoot, I know I'm overdue--"

"Bloody damn straight--"

"But I brought something I think you'd like to see."

Sirius cocked a wary eyebrow and peered at Remus suspiciously. "Really? Like that's going to make up for all the fucking worry I just went through the last three days--"

"Sirius, please," Remus begged. "Sshh. Don't want certain people to know. Let's go outside. To the garden, come on now."

And to Sirius' surprise Remus was grinning wickedly, his normally tired brown eyes flashing with mischief. Sirius frowned in puzzlement but kept silent. He restored the front door ward and followed Remus out the side door into the garden.

Outside, Sirius' steps muffled in the fine layer of snow, he crept up until he stood just behind Remus, who was cradling something warm and glowing in his bare hands.

Now curious, anger draining Sirius peered over Remus' shoulder, leaning his chin against him; his demeanor changed to outright glee. "Merlin's beard! Moony, is that what I think it is?"

Remus nodded, smirking. "This is why I couldn't get back until now, Padfoot. I was done with the Irish pack on Sunday but I spent three days hunting all over County Limerick just to find it. Took another day just to negotiate getting it. You try to smooth-talk a suspicious leprechaun and convince him to hand this over."

Sirius snorted. "The Black charm would've done it in two minutes, tops."

Remus rolled his eyes but smiled fondly. "That and spiked Firewhisky I'm sure."

Sirius walked around to face him. "Can I hold it?"

Remus nodded and passed the glowing sphere into Sirius' cupped hands. Their heads, black and greying, bent together over the light to shield it from possibly prying eyes. Sirius' grin split his wan face wide open as he gazed at the cheerfully flickering orb. "Won't those Weasley twins be surprised to see this."

Their eyes met and something wickedly, delightedly evil passed between them. "Precisely," Remus agreed. "When are Fred and George due back?"

"Not until April Fool's. Their birthday."

"Perfect," Remus proclaimed.

Sirius' face darkened slightly. "Will the magic last that long--?"

"The leprechaun assured me, from today right through mid-April."

"Ah, luck of the Irish, yeah and the power of St. Patrick himself." Sirius nodded in smug satisfaction.

A brief wind blew through the tree, brushing snow down around them. The globe shone brighter and acquired a slightly manic hue. "This gives us two weeks, Padfoot," Remus said, his long-suffering eyes now twinkling with mirth.

"Two weeks to show them why they're not to tangle with the Marauders," Sirius grinned.

"To assess our superiority?"

"Damn straight. Always one up, yeah?"

"Always."

"Let's not tarry then," Sirius said. "Plans are now officially afoot. Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs will be properly avenged of the misdeeds of Fred and George Weasley forthwith."

*****

Two weeks later, the twins never knew what hit them.

When they finally extricated themselves from the glittering green and gold magical cords that bound them fast together in the drawing room and wiped their faces, the Order members who witnessed the spectacle had already managed to school their faces from stunned shock to amused acceptance.

Then Fred and George looked over to where Remus and Sirius sat on the overstuffed sofa, each behind yesterday's copies of the The Daily Prophet and The Quibbler. The twins Vanished the newspapers, and glared. Remus and Sirius stared right back.

And they were smiling.