The Malfoy Chronicles: A Witch in Time

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And to all my other readers - thank you for reading this story, and I would appreciate your feedback as well!
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James stormed from the kitchen, feeling both angry and ashamed. He was angry, and righteously so, because Sirius Black was practically bullying Draca. Whatever had happened, he was sure that she hadn’t meant to see him naked (Who would?), and therefore his cruel comment had been completely out of line. He was ashamed because he hadn’t been able to control the beast within. This had been a horrible example to set in front of family that didn’t know him. They already feared him…

He stalked into the family room, and found a nice dark corner in which to brood. He plopped down on the ground, and settled his back into a dusty corner, drawing his knees to his chest and resting his chin atop them. ‘Stupid ponce.’ He thought angrily.

He was only allowed to brood momentarily, because Sirius himself came into the family room, spotted him, and began to make his way over to him.

“Look, mate…” he started. James held up a hand and shook his head.

“I shouldn’t have attacked you. Even if you said some really evil, rude things doesn’t mean I had the right to attack. Sometimes I just lose control of the beast.” He said softly, resting his chin back on his knees. “I’m really protective, mate. I could smell the humiliation coming off of her, and yet you kept on.”

Sirius sat down beside James, and pulled up one knee.

“I was in the wrong, mate. I just…I can’t get past her last name…Her family is…well….” Sirius was having a hard time explaining himself, as he wasn’t used to doing it. “I apologized to her before I came to you. I don’t know if she meant it or not…but she forgave me. Look…I’m sorry.” He said, and leaned his head back against the wall. James gave a lopsided grin.

“I’ll forgive you this time…but I meant what I said in the kitchen…I’m not to be trifled with…” he said.

“I’m glad for the warning. Say...Mini Snape said something about a group you guys were in. Care to elaborate? I’m interested…” Sirius said.

“Although I have the strange nagging feeling that you are just trying to weasel information out of me, I’m going to tell you anyway. Tobias, Draca, a boy named Scott Pucey and I are in a group called The Unseen. We are very much based on the Marauders.” James said, looking quite pleased with himself. Sirius smirked.

“Well…we are legendary. Do continue.” James rolled his eyes.

“Anyway…we’ve borrowed quite a few of your….techniques.” James said, looking quite mischievous. “And…not all of them are legal.” He said.

“So…a law-breaking Auror, eh?” Sirius asked.

“Well, only one thing we do is illegal…everything else is just a little questionable…” James said.

“In true Marauder fashion! Mind if I pry a bit as to ask what it is that is illegal?”

“We’re unregistered Animagi, of course!” James grinned happily. “Well, I’m a multi-Animagi. The others only have one form.” James said proudly, puffing up ever so slightly.

“That’s wicked. Why did you become Animagi?” Sirius asked. “You must know why we did…”

“Yeah…to keep Remus company during his transformations. Well…our reasons are a bit more selfish. We can sneak around better under the wards of the school as creatures…Or, if it makes you feel any better, the others thought me a selfish berk to be the only one able to take a beastly form, and decided to even out the playing field.” He said, grinning nervously.

“What’s your form?” Sirius asked, looking over at James.

“A black dragon. It’s scaled down, though. I can kind of control the size…I’ve only ever been as big as a large horse, and as small as a dog. I don’t like being small, though.” He said, and ran his hand through his hair.

“What red-blooded male does?”

~~

“So you really threatened to bite him?” Tobias asked, quite bemused. He cast his gaze one his friend for only a moment, before his work pulled back his focus. In order to prove to his father that he was a capable Potions student, he was at present working on a proposal for the flavoring of Wolfsbane potion. Remus, having overheard the two arguing, was both intrigued and hopeful, but the elder Snape had all but dashed the man’s hope by shooting down his son’s idea. Tobias wasn’t easily flustered, though, having dealt with the man’s stubbornness and unyielding personality in the future.

“Yeah…but I think we’re on good terms now. That makes my dad happy. I just wish dad would talk to me. He’s barely said anything to me and we’ve been here a week…” James said, sounding quite deflated. He was even more dispirited when he received no answer from his friend.

“By increasing the aconite by one teaspoon, and then allowing it to simmer one hour longer, the potion becomes more acidic…..adding one standard moonstone….common table sugar….simmer…” His friend murmured, tapping the edge of his quill against his lips. Suddenly the usually dour young man’s face lit up with what could be described as unadulterated triumph. “Eureka!” he cried, and jumped from his chair. He ran for the door, almost knocking Draca over as she entered the room, and skidded towards the kitchen in his socked feet.

Draca raised a silvery eyebrow, and looked at James to supply an answer. James shrugged.

“Some potion thing. Only Tobias gets as happy as a toddler at Christmas over potions…strange, really.” He said.

“I’ve come up with the perfect prank.” Draca said suddenly, and James looked up from his spot on the floor.

“Wicked. Who are we pranking?”

“Sirius Black.” She said, biting her lip with excitement. “Nothing bad…or illegal….just some good old-fashioned pranking fun. And we can add Tobias into the plan when he quits playing around with his EZ–Simmer Cauldron.”
James snorted. “Sounds like a plan. If anyone would appreciate it, it would be him. Or Fred and George…but we’ll get them later.”

~~

James, Tobias and Draca sat at the breakfast table, picking at the food James had prepared. They had been up at near the crack of dawn so they could set up their prank. It wasn’t elaborate, but it would be effective.

A few people were leaking into the kitchen. Remus had already joined them, happily partaking in the undercooked sausage that James had set aside for himself and the werewolf. Severus Snape had come in a few minutes before, mumbling about twinkly-eyed old fools waking him up at ungodly times of the morning. And Mr. Weasley was already down, reading the Daily Prophet that he had gone out to retrieve.

The silent reverie was broken by a bellow of rage from upstairs. The three friends grinned openly.

“SCORE!!!” James and Tobias said simultaneously, and gave each other high-fives. They went back to their meals as if nothing had happened when they heard someone pounding down the stairs. Sirius Black emerged through the kitchen door, sporting hot pink hair that was plastered to his face, still wet from a shower.

“Where are the little blighters?” he cried. He spotted James and Tobias, and stalked up to them angrily, his fists clenched by his side.

Remus had both hands over his mouth in an attempt not to laugh. Mr. Weasley was at present biting his hand for the same reason, and several of the house guests had appeared at the door out of curiosity.

“I must say, Sirius…not exactly the color I would have chosen, but it looks fetching on you nonetheless.” James said, and Tobias snorted around his eggs.

“Fix it!” Sirius hissed.

“I’m afraid we can’t do that.” Tobias said. “That particular dye is of my own invention. It won’t wash out for a week.” He added, smirking. Something in Sirius’ eyes snapped, and his arms flew out, grasping Tobias by the front of his robes and pulling him roughly from his seat.

“Listen to me, Mini-Bat!” he said acidly, and shook Tobias almost violently. “I refuse to walk around this house sporting pink hair. You can either fix it, or I’ll fix you!” He growled, looking completely insane in that moment. He felt something prod his stomach, only to realize Tobias had drawn his wand on him.

“You listen to me…and listen well: I am not my father. You will not bully me. And if you don’t put me down this instance, you will get to see just how gifted in the Dark Arts I am.” Tobias ground out. Sirius dropped the boy, and stepped back. “I wasn’t lying to you, Black. That dye will stay in for a week.” He said, and sat back down in his chair, holding his wand tight while he ate with his opposite hand. He was trembling with rage, and he kept his head down so that he wouldn’t meet the gazes of the rest of the house.

The housemates that had gathered around the door were shocked to say the least. Sirius had just had a violent emotional explosion over a simple prank. Everyone had figured out that James and Tobias had dyed his hair for a prank. But they couldn’t figure out what had made Sirius snap.

“Hot head…” James murmured. “Are you okay, ‘Bias?” he asked, turning to his dark-haired friend.

Tobias, aware of the gaze of everyone on him, slammed his fork against the table and stood stiffly. He walked from the room, his head down the entire time, his black hair hiding his face. Draca started to stand and go after him, but James rested a hand on her arm.

“Let him deal with it himself. Broody little thing…” he said softly, and the blonde nodded gently. James sighed softly.

“Well…that didn’t go as planned…”
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