Work Text:
Submitted for The Houses Competition Forum - Round 2
House: Ravenclaw
Subject: Potions
Category: Drabble
Prompt: Princess Buttercup: (Dialogue) “As you wish.”
Word Count: 998
“What in Merlin’s name is that ?” James vibrated with excitement as he pointed at a garishly lit machine across the fairground.
Remus squinted in the direction before stiffening at the sight of the tall, colourful machine. “James, no. Not that. Anything but that.”
But Sirius was already staring in the same direction, eyes gleaming like a dog spotting a squirrel. They had just demolished five bags of Muggle sweets and ridden three roller coasters and two carousels. Disaster was brewing.
“Let’s just ride the roller coaster again,” Remus suggested desperately, tugging at Sirius' sleeve. “That was fun, right?”
No response.
He turned to Peter, who was blissfully licking an ice cream cone, oblivious. “Peter, help me .”
“With what?” Peter blinked, then followed their gaze. “Ooh, a claw machine!”
“A what?” Sirius and James demanded in unison, finally turning to Peter.
Peter said, still licking the cone, “It’s a Muggle game. You try to grab toys with a claw.”
Remus winced at the word and tightened his grip on the boys.
“Toys?” they repeated and then bolted.
“Now look what you've done!” Remus snapped at Peter, who blinked innocently and took another long lick of his damned ice cream.
“What did I do?”
“You do know they won't stop until they get a toy from there, right?” Remus asked him pointedly.
“So?”
“It’s rigged, Peter.” Remus rubbed his face. “They’ll burn it down before they accept defeat.”
Peter’s eyes widened. “Oh no…”
“Oh yes,” Remus muttered.
“Shit,” Peter whispered and hurriedly shoved the remains of his ice cream cone down his throat.
By the time they caught up, James and Sirius were shaking the machine like it owed them Galleons. Sirius turned and demanded, “How do we get the toys?”
Peter— traitorously —explained the joystick, button, and coin process, earning himself a stomp on the foot from Remus.
“Don't tell them that!” Remus hissed, but it was too late.
James was already trying to move the joystick without inserting a coin.
“I give up,” Remus grumbled and crossed his arms as he stood by.
Sirius pulled out a whole Galleon and asked, “Is this enough?”
Remus' eyes widened with disbelief. “No, that's—”
Peter snatched it smoothly. “I’ll trade you.” He pocketed the Galleon and pulled out a 2p coin.
“You’re unbelievable,” Remus said.
Peter shrugged. “ They don’t know the exchange rate.”
He then instructed the boys, “Here, slip this into the slot and it will start the game.”
“I'll go first,” James announced, but Sirius shook his head and began arguing with him.
“Don't fight,” Peter said authoritatively. "How about you both work together? One of you, move the joystick; the other can press the button.”
The boys agreed and then slid the coin into the slot. As the game began, Remus groaned, knowing exactly how this was going to go.
He was right.
Fifteen minutes (and twenty-three Galleons traded for mere 2p coins) later, Sirius snapped, “Pete, this game sucks. I want that bloody toy, and I want it now.”
“I want that fluffy deer with those white spots,” James demanded, pointing at a stuffed Bambi toy. “It’ll be a great present for my future child with Evans.”
“The same Evans who doesn’t give you the time of day?” Sirius leapt out of the way when James tried to smack him.
“What do you want me to do?” Peter rolled his eyes. “Climb in and get your toys?”
Before Remus could stop them, Sirius and James grinned wickedly and clapped Peter’s shoulders. Ominously, they said in unison, “Great idea, Wormtail.”
Peter’s eyes widened as realisation hit. “No…”
“Yes…”
“No…”
“YES!” Their grins widened as they cornered Peter against the machine.
Peter glanced at the crowds before groaning. “Ugh… As you wish.”
“This is a bad idea,” Remus muttered, but he made no move to stop them. After all, Peter always ended up doing exactly what James and Sirius demanded of him anyway.
Peter shifted into a rat before James grabbed him and shoved him into the machine. Scrambling and scratching sounds echoed from inside the box before Wormtail’s little head popped out in between the toys. James and Sirius cheered and pointed wildly at the toys they wanted.
Wormtail dragged the Bambi toy towards the chute and jumped on it a couple of times to push it down. It fell out of the machine, and James leapt for it, a huge grin on his face.
“My child will treasure this,” he said in awe, cradling it like a newborn.
“Grab the dog.” Sirius’ voice was muffled as his face and hands were plastered to the glass window.
Remus muttered, “Let’s just hope no one sees a rat bringing out toys.”
“We’ll just say it’s our pet rat,” James joked, his Bambi toy now perched on his hip.
Wormtail chomped down on the fluffy dog and dragged it over to the chute. Sirius whooped when he got his hands on it.
“Get that one too!”
“And that too—Ooh, a ball!”
Exhausted, Wormtail was about to return when Remus said, “Well, since you’re in there anyway… grab one for us both, will you?”
Wormtail stood on his hind legs and gestured at Remus aggressively, which made the boys grin.
“As you wish, Master ,” James said in a high-pitched voice, mimicking Peter. The words were practically written on Wormtail’s chubby face.
Sirius cackled. “He’s not calling Moony Master—more like a right tosser.”
Still, Wormtail rolled a purple ball out for Remus, but just as he began dragging a white, pink-nosed mouse towards the chute for himself, a couple of children arrived at the claw machine.
“Mummy, a mouse !” they screamed and pointed at the machine with horror.
“Shit,” Sirius hissed, banging on the glass, “Pete, get out of there!”
Wormtail dragged his mouse down the chute, and Remus scooped him up along with the toy and shoved them both into his pocket. And before the children could scream some more, the three boys bolted, howling with laughter, toys and a rat in tow.