The Marauders: Year Six Part 2 #Wattys2017

Sirius Wants to Go to the Library Again

Myrtle slid through the pipes surrounding her toilet, bored and feeling like a chat up with somebody. Nobody had visited her in the U-bend, not even Peeves, who liked to throw things through her. She moaned sadly to herself as she clambered through, until she heard the sound of running water far above her.

The sixth floor Gryffindor prefects' bath was running.

She hurried through the pipes, passing bubbles from the bath soaps, too eager to be deterred, even as the bubbles flickered through her like a mirage. Arriving at the sixth floor, she languidly dripped through the pipe as though she herself was water, spilling into the bath with a high, musical song - "weeeee!"

She was rather hoping it would be the Potter boy - who had borrowed the prefect bath before. But instead she found long black hair floating on the surface and shortish blonde hair hanging wet and limp over a forehead... Myrtle deflated with disappointment. "Oh. It's you two again," she groaned.

Sirius Black looked up from his job of kissing Remus Lupin. "Come now, don't say it with such disappointment," Sirius said, grinning.

"It's only that you two are boring," Myrtle said, "Always kissing and whatever." She sighed and hung in the air beside a portrait of a mermaid, who waved and tugged her hair into plaits like Myrtles, making ugly faces and mocking her. Myrtle tried very hard not to notice.

"Don't be jealous," Sirius said, turning back to Remus, who looked reluctantly up at Myrtle. "Oh just ignore her, Moony," Sirius murmured, lips reaching Remus's neck, "She just wishes it was her who was kissing you."

Remus said, "Yes but we're no longer in private - and -"

Sirius looked back at Myrtle, "Oi, scram."

Myrtle grinned. "Can't tell me what to do," she said in a bratty manner. Beside her, the mermaid mocked her, tilting her head side to side to mimic Myrtle's ghostly shimmer.

Sirius seethed.

"Sirius," Remus said, "We can go finish this elsewhere - back up to the dormitory. Or else the Trophy Room passage."

Sirius turned to him, "But you said your muscles needed a soaking to loosen up." Sirius's voice was concerned, "I'm not about to let a bloody apparition -"

Myrtle looked offended at the term apparition.

"— keep us from soaking your muscles so that you might loosen up and we can get to... er, enjoying one another's company," Sirius said pointedly.

Remus raised an eyebrow.

"Besides that, you're sore and if the hot water bath helps —"

"I'll be quite alright," Remus said, "Besides, I reckon the time we've been in has helped enough already." He was lying. "And look. Prune fingers." He held up his hand so Sirius could see the rippling in the pads of his finger tips.

Sirius hesitated. Then, to Myrtle, who had leaned forward to see Remus's fingers, "Bugger off then, we're leaving."

Myrtle giggled annoyingly, "But you haven't gotten out yet," she said slyly, her mouth splitting into a wide smile.

Sirius looked at Remus, then back at Myrtle. "You bloody pervert."

"Says you - Sirius Black!" Myrtle laughed wickedly.

"Oi at least I'm invited to be a pervert," Sirius argued, "I don't go creeping up the toilet seat to have a gander!"

Myrtle's cheeks became slightly less transparent and Remus reckoned it was a ghostly blush of anger and he cleared his throat, "What Sirius means to say, Myrtle, is could you possibly pop off and give us a bit of privacy?"