Checking Out The Merchandise

He was sure that his dear cousins would have returned home by now, but Sirius knew that he should enjoy the time he had left before Orion did in fact come looking for him. "I should have a few more minutes, if not hours, depends on when my mother remembers that I'm out". It was the truth, after all, usually his mother would be happy to have him out of her head, that she'd never remember that he was gone; but the few times she did remember, she'd send for him in a jiffy.

Though Sirius liked to think that he set the rules for himself, after all, he couldn't remember the last time he had listened to his mother. It was this attitude of his that annoyed his mother the most, and the boy was happy to do anything to keep it up. Even if it meant hearing a lecture once in a while. It was worth it.

James nodded, knowing how that felt. Him, being an only child, meant that his parents were somewhat protective over him. Well... His mother more than his father. James could remember having to constantly be watched over even when it was something as simple as getting his own breakfast or practising to fly. James was looking forward to going off to school just so he could get some alone time. That would be nice.

"I hear ya," James said, sighing. "It's a miracle my parents let me do my own shopping today. I half expected my mum to take me by the hand and drag me all across Diagon Alley with her. Nightmare city! It's like they don't trust us..." James ran his hand through his hair again.

"Well... They might have good reason not to," he grinned in a somewhat rogue manner. "Last time I was left to my own devices, I managed to convince my House Elf to serve ice cream for dinner."

After making all her other stops, Skyler headed towards one of her favorites. Quality Quidditch Supplies. She loved to fly, and playing seeker, she thought maybe she needed a new broom. Or maybe just robes. Well, she was supposed to be getting new robes and gloves anyways. But a broom would be nice.

Getting to the shop, Skyler paused as normal for passerby to admire the newest broom that was displayed in the window. Standing just behind a pair of dark haired boys who, from their conversation, Skyler picked up were first years. Unable to help herself, she listened to their conversation amusedly, and couldn't help but comment on it. "Ice cream for dinner huh?" She spoke, purple eyes dancing in amusement, smirk on her lips. "Well aren't you just every parents nightmare come true." She couldn't help but tease.

Sirius smirked, "Well my mother was too busy flailing over my cousins, to even realize exactly what I had said". He liked that, although he didn't like his cousins bar Andromeda, he got more freedom when they were around. And he wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize that. Smiling he continued, "Atleast you're mother cares about you," which was neccessarily not the case with Walburga. For her it was more important to uphold the name of the Black family then anything else. Oh and let's not forget her constant screeching over how much of a disappointment he was.

He had to admit, James and he were much more alike then he thought. "Are you kidding? That is awesome to have ice-cream for dinner; I should try that myself," he said,"I remember the last time I was home alone, I managed to change all the Arrows banners to Puddlemere".

Grinning like a fool, he turned at the sound of someone else talking. It was a girl, he quickly gathered, and he was sure that he didn't know her, maybe James did?

"Ice cream for dinner huh?" "Well aren't you just every parents nightmare come true."

James spun when he heard the unfamiliar voice address him and Sirius, well.. mostly him. James didn't recognise the older girl, but still grinned at what she said.

"Oh, well, if you knew my House Elf, you'd know what kind of feat that was. Little thing has some trust issues. Well justified, I suppose. I get bored very easily." James kept his grin, flashes of monumental times of boredom coming to mind.

He turned back to Sirius. "Yeah? That's awesome. I don't think I've managed to do anything like that. Steal a wand did you?"

Skyler returned the two boys' grins with one of her own trademark smirks. Oh now these were boys after her own heart. She could tell they'd give Hogwarts, and most likely anyone who came in contact with them, a run for their money. That was definitely something Skyler could appreciate. "I know what you mean." She replied easily. "Most of my house elves haven't trusted me since I had them transform my room into an underwater cave." A smile of remembrance stole over Skyler's face. "Didn't last long since when my mother opened the door all the water flooded out. Wasn't a pretty sight." She shook her head, grinning. "I was 7. Anyways, "She flashed them a charming grin. "I'm Skyler Riddle."

Sirius grinned at James sheepishly, "Let's just that say that my mother doesnt really make it a task to borrow her wand," he said, sliding a hand through his hair. Actually to say that Walburga accidentally left it on the kitchen table was an understatement, the woman would always leave it laying around, it was hard not to nip it. Though that Kreacher did give him a hard time doing it often - always on the look out to make sure that noone took his great Mistresses' wand. He could choke on that thought; he didn't find his mother great, let alone bearable.

Turning towards the newcomer again, he looked at her in awe, and his mouth wide open, as she spoke about the underwater cave in her room. He could picture it clearly in his mind, and he was sure that the girl was another one like him, and James. "Sirius Black the third," he said smugly, still watching her.

Purple eyes flashing in amusent as one of the boys implied to the other he regularly stole his mother's wand, Skyler felt a grin spread across her lips. Her grin grew even wider as the one who spoke turned towards her, awes clearly written on his face and mouth ajar. She chuckled lightly at his smug introduction. "Pleasure to meet you Sirius, I'm sure." She replied kindly with a nod of her head, where her wand was tucked behind her ear in a very trademark and disringuishing trait of hers. There were hardly a time it couldn't be found placed there. "I've had the pleasure of sharing a dorm with a Narcissa Black for the past six years. No doubt a family member of yours. Though from meeting you, I almost find myself wishing I were a first year again."

She sent him a playful wink, turning her bright purple eyes to the other dark haired boy, shooting him a friendly grin in welcome. "And just who are you Mr. Ice-cream-for-dinner?" She questioned casually, hand slipping into the robe of her dark purple robes to fish out some chocolate frogs. Boys did enjoy a treat every now and again didn't they? Daryl certainly did. Of course, there would be no telling of what exactly she had done to the chocolate. She grinned wider pulling out the candy and holding them out to the two boys in silent offering. A little prank to break the ice was always a good start to a frienship. It's how she ended up glued to Fairy all these years.

James laughed out loud at the anecdote the girl described. Pure brilliance. He had a feeling that befriending this girl could be very useful; very useful indeed.

He was momentarly distracted by the shop-keeper bringing out a brand new supply of Broom polish, but was brought back to the conversation, hearing the words Mr. Ice-cream-for-dinner.

James smiled, hoping the term wouldn't become a nickname. He had a hard time accepting nicknames people created for him. They had to be good, or else he wouldn't respond to them.

"James Potter," James introduced, raising an eyebrow at the sweet being offered. He had previously stuffed himself with Ice-cream at Florian's, but he did want to be on the girl's goodside. Who knew what the older girl could teach him?

He took the piece, waiting for Sirius to do the same before he ate it. If something was wrong with the candy - James half expected it to be so, as it was coming from a prankster like himself - he'd let Sirius be the test subject.

Skyler nodded at the other boy as he intoduced himself, warm smile taking over her features. "Nice to meet you James. I must say, it must be mh lucky day, meeting two strapping young purebloods out and about. But how unfortunate they're so young. I guess I'll have to keep looking." She sighed dramatically, shaking her head in mock sorrow, but couldn't keep the smirk off her face no matter if she tried or not.

She grinned happily as the boy now she knew to be James, took one of the offered chocolates, albeit he looked rather reluctant, which both pleased and disappointed. Pleased because he was smart enough to spot a probable prank. Disappointed because that meant it would be harder for her to prank said boy. But she woudn't give up. She lived for a challenge, and she was liking what she was seeing from the firsties she had met so far. Maybe she would make it a goal to leave Hogwarts with a army of pranksters when she graduated next year. The idea had merit.

She turned her purple eyes on the young Black. "Oh go on now. I promise they won't hurt you. Nothing I've pulled to date has hurt so much as a fly." She encouraged. It was the truth in any case. The tainted candy wouldn't hurt them. It would just have bubbles coming out of their mouths whenever they spoke. Tasty bubbles mind you. She tried to make her pranks enjoyable for even the prankee.

Sirius eyed the chocolates on Skyler's hands, and could hear them scream. There was something fishy about the way she offered them; especially since they had just met each other. Noone offered anything rather that quickly in a first meeting, let alone the first half hour of the meeting. But still, he felt himself lean forward, mimicking James and catching hold of the small chocolate in his hand.

His eyes on James now; he challenged the boy to bite together with him, but not before he had a idea. Breaking half of it, he smiled sweetly at the older girl, "Why don't you have half of mine?" he said, "I feel rather bad if the two of us eat it and you don't. Not what a gentleman would do".

James was still skeptical despite the girl's reassurance that the candy wasn't harmful. Being harmed wasn't what James was concerned about. It was more so the inevitable embarrassment of being the victim of a prank that was the source of worry.

James raised his eyebrows at Sirius and then grinned back at the girl, at Sirius' suggestion. Brilliant.

"Yeah. You try some first," he said, nodding his head in her direction, amused by the situation. He couldn't really care less if he didn't seem 'gentlemanly' enough; he just wanted to see her eat the darned treat.

Skyer grinened. She couldn't be mpre pleased. Oh these two would go far, yes they would. But she was nothing if not prepared, not to mention previous times with Fairy had taught her well. She reached into her pocket again pulling out her own chocolate. "Of course. But I wouldn't think kf taking half of yours. After all, I never do anything by half." She popped the treat into her mouth, savkring the sweet taste knowing nothing would happen and seemingly showing the two young boys it were safe enough, purple eyes shinning as she faught back a smirk with ease.

James watched with bated breathe as the girl ate a piece of candy from her pocket.

He waited... waited... but nothing happened.

James scratched his chin, intrigued. Either she was just offering a piece of sweet purely to be nice and they had nothing to fear or there was something sinister going on. James couldn't read her facial expression, which irked him greatly. Usually, people gave themselves away, but Skyler didn't let anything slip.

The eleven year old looked down at the piece of candy in his hand, and gave Sirius another side glance. He didn't want to offend the girl by not eating the piece - especially after she had used herself as a test subject - but he still half expected to have his hair died pink or start tap dancing around the store or something else equally horrid if he ate it.

"Whatcha reckon, Black?" James asked, half his mouth turned up in a smile. "Should we?"

Sirius narrowed his eyes at the girl, completely sure that any minute and she would be tap dancing around the shop. But as the time ticked away, he found himself slightly pouting. Shrugging, the young Black turned his face towards James, glancing at the chocolate momentarily before looking up again. Smiling back at the boy before him, he spoke up, "I don't know man, there's no reason not to, after all, don't you think we've done enough of the suspicion?"

He still had his doubts on the chocolate, and so many questions were running through his head. Like why she had just taken out two chocolates instead of three in the first place. Shrugging, he lifted the candy towards his mouth - taking a long look at it, just in case there was something fishy, and waited for James to follow suit.

"Together then Potter?"

James screwed up his face, half wanting Sirius to adamantly refuse the treat, thus making his own refusal, acceptable and not so cowardly. James, instead, nodded determinedly at Sirius, thinking that he might as well put on a brave face and try the accursed candy. What's the worst that could happen? James decided that it was best not to dwell to long on his own rhetoric.

The youth placed the square on his tongue and closed his mouth, keeping an eye on Skyler for a sign of... well.. anything, really. He'd know straight away if it had been her plan to prank them all along.

It wasn't Skyler's facial expression that gave it away, but instead a brightly coloured bubble that burst from his lips as he opened his mouth to breathe. James looked over at Sirius and saw that a similar reaction was happening to him. James swallowed the chocolate, which was all together pleasant, and mock glared at Skyler.

"I-"

Several bubbles burst forth from his mouth as soon as he spoke the pronoun. He watched them float above him and then burst once that were a good distance away.

"Iknewyouwereuptosomething," James rushed as bubbles, a steady flow from his mouth by now, obstructed his view from the other two. He waved his hand through them and watched as they burst on contact.

"Very... " Two more bubbles escaped, "funny."


((Permission to GM Sirius))

Just as Sirius placed the candy in his mouth, and joined his teeth together, he frowned. Opening his mouth, he watched as a bubble escaped from it. He was sure that James had got a similar fate, as the young Potter babbled words that were hard to understand. The eleven year old took a look at the boy and then glanced at Skyler, before hysterics took over.

He chuckled, letting bubbles to simultaneously escape his mouth. "Brill… ant, I .. I say". Holding onto his stomach for dear lord, the boy doubled over in laughter, not sure whether it was because of the prank or the way his voice came out.

James looked over as Sirius burst into laughter. He immediately thought that the chocolate was laced with an excessive laughing potion or something. James could remember his father placing the tickling charm, Rictusempra on him on several occasions for the fun of it, but he didn't seem to be overrun with the urge to start laughing uncontrollably.

He shook his head back and forth at Sirius's antics, his own mouth turning up in a grin as he watched the fellow first year laughing richly.

"You got us," James graciously accepted to Skyler, the last few bubbles falling out of his mouth. His hands came up in mock defeat but he was smiling the entire time. There were worse pranks to be victim to, after all.

"I think you're definitely a handy person to befriend," he said to the older student. "Imagine all the spells she could teach us, Sirius." James's smile grew larger at the thought of having an advantage like that over the other students in first year. Brilliant.

Skyler watched in silence as the two boys exchanged words with eachother, trying to decide whether or not they were safe to eat the chocolates. She couldn't help the widening of her grin, the parallels between their relationship and her own with her best friend quite symetrical at this point. It brought her a little piece of mind to know that Hogwarts would not lack of a pair of friends like herself and Daryl in future years.

Listening as the young Black and Potter made their decision to eat the treats together, Skyler kept herself from looking too pleased with the fact, though she did give a snort of amusement at their overall antics. Being a Slytherin came very much in handy in situations like these. She absently wondered if the two young boys were shooting for any house in particular...

Grinning like a Chestire now, Skyler let out her laughter now as the two reacted. Bubbles streaming their mouths as one gave the classic 'I knew it' love and the other just couldn't stop laughing. Chuckling, her eyes gleamed at James. "Well of course I was up to something." She told him, rolling her eyes and adopting a crooked grin. "Here's a little tip for you. I'm not only a Riddle, but a Slytherin as well. I'm [i]always[/] up to something." She advised them airily, slipping her hands into her pockets and pulling out somemore chocolates. She nodded to James' words. "Yup. Can definitely teach you a few spells here and there, but a true prankster doesn't rely on just one alley tk get things done. Lesson number one: expand and use all your resources."

She held out both hands to them, each filled with chocolate. "Right hand is tainted, left is perfectly fine. Take a few of each. The tainted you'll get pretty much the same reaction out of as you had to anyone you give them too. The regular chocolates are just in case you find yourself in a situation like mine." She smirked at the two, completely amused by the entire situation. "And... I like you two." She added on with a slight shrug. "Besides, you can't get these at the joke shops. My very own creations." She grinned proudly. "It's a perfect way around the 'no magic outside of school' clause isn't it?" She questioned absently, and rather rhetorically, thinking about how she hadn't even yet shared her new creations with Fairy yet. Which meant he would be all too unsuspecting. Well... of her, he was always suspecting. But of two soon to be firsties?

She smirked, looking at the broom in the window on display. "Well, I better be off. But before I head out," She looked at the two with her patented Riddle smirk. "If you see a guy with bubblegum pink hair walking around, you have my full permission to wreak havoc on him. Might want to slip him one of the green wrapped ones. Those tend to have an extra sjde effect or two. Like singing out the bubbles until the end of the song, or streaming them out like a dragon does fire." She told them comspiritorally. "Well boys, it was great fun meeting you. I'll keep an eye out for you on the train." She ruffled their hair and grinned, and moved to walk away but paused and added, "By the way, the trick is to make them watch one hand, while you're doing something else with the other. For instance, you seem like good conversationalists. Keep them disctracted with your colorful words, and they'll never notice you took the chocolates out of two different pockets. Much like you didn't."

She smirked, sent them a wink, and vanished into the crowd, happy with how the day was turning out.