Cool Lupin VIII (original) (raw)

Remus was engaged in a conversation with Tonks at the kitchen table when Fred and George finally showed up in the basement, smoke pouring out of their ears. Neither of them looked happy, and Tonks grinned at them in amusement.

"Wow, so is this what people look like when they are fuming? What happened to you lot?"

George glowered, and Fred snorted, "Don't mind us, Tonks. We're just running into a few snags in a project, nothing we haven't encountered before."

Remus smirked broadly at them. "Thinking about giving it up yet?" he asked mildly, receiving an identical set of glares. "I did warn you that I have far more experience than you."

Tonks was looking back and forth with mounting interest. "What's this about then?" she asked, her eyes lighting with interest, and Remus realized that while Tonks was a dear friend she was also more than a little prone to mischief herself. She might do more than take a tolerant, passing interest in the twins' project...

"C'mon, Tonks," he said, rising from the table and holding his hand out to her. "We really ought to go and..." Before he could tell he what they ought to be doing, George had raised his wand and growled a charm, and a sudden chill washed over Remus' bare skin.

"Damn!" whistled Tonks, and Fred nodded appreciatively.

"Simple, yet effective," he stated. "Good idea, George."

Remus hurriedly snagged a dishtowel, using it to try and preserve what little dignity he had remaining, while the others leered at him. Clothing banishment...he would have expected that had his tormentors been anyone other than the Weasley twins, who usually went for more devious and complex pranks. "Nice wand work," he commented to George, as he sidled toward the stairs with the intention of hurrying back to his room for a new set of robes. But as he reached the base of the stairs the door opened, and Snape appeared above him.

Lip curled in distaste, Snape studied the scene below; the Weasleys howling and smoking by the table, Tonks clutching her sides and barely managing to stay upright from laughter, and Remus clad only in a checkered dishtowel and staring at him in surprise. Rolling his eyes to the heavens, he growled, "Great leaping Merlin, what NEXT?" before stalking back out the way he came.