Spoils, Wives and Plots (Part One)

The gang had met back up at Shiva's flat again shortly into the start of the summer for another movie night. This time Remus and Sirius had joined them as well as Totally-Not-A-Maid Tonks. Hannah, Susan and Amelia – surprisingly enough – came over as well. With the addition of a few extra conjured couches and armchairs there was just enough room for everyone.

"If we end up adding any more people to the group we're going to need to find a new place to hold these meetings," Neville said with a chuckle. He was sandwiched between Susan and Hannah who had each grabbed one of his arms to drape over their shoulders.

"I'd volunteer my home but none of our rooms are much bigger," Amelia commented shrugging.

"Don't look at me," Sirius said from the seat next to Amelia. "Black Manor isn't nearly suitable for company yet. You'd be more likely to die from some random curse flying off the silverware or have your hand eaten by a book."

"Eaten by a book?" Hermione asked looking utterly horrified at the possibility. Harry chuckled at his girlfriend. She had been leaning against him far more than usually and the sheer audacity of a book that harmed its reader was the first thing to get her to shift enough for him to feel his arm again.

"Yeah and that's one of the tamer ones. I tell, you mum had some nasty volumes in that library. I swear I found one that will literally turn someone inside out if you don't open to the correct page first!"

"Wow it's really that bad at your old place, Sirius?" Harry asked.

Tonks shuddered. "You have no idea, Harry. Hell, just yesterday I found an innocent little locket that felt all sorts of wrong and I swear the thing was whispering to me. We tried to toss it but that crazy house elf damn near had a coronary and started sobbing his eyes out. Something about belonging to 'Great Master Regulus', Sirius' brother. We let the poor thing keep it eventually as long as he promised not to give it to anyone."

"I still can't believe he stopped insulting us after that," Sirius said shaking his head. "Kreacher hated me pretty much since I could talk and he sure didn't seem fond of you at all Tonksie."

"Yeah, well I'm not complaining. I figure if that house hasn't driven him insane yet than leaving him the whispering locket for another few years won't make him any worse. You know I think I've gotten more injuries from that house than the entire time I was with the Aurors. Though that may be more of a knock against them in some ways..." Tonks shrugged.

"So what horror show are you subjecting us to this week, Harry?" Daphne asked. "It's not another crazed robot assassin is it? I admit a naked Schwarzenegger is yummy but that endoskeleton," she shivered and Tracey rubbed her back.

"Aww, don't worry. It's better than a ghost that literally haunts your dreams, hon," Tracey said trying to avoid thinking about Freddy.

"I figured one final horror movie that I've always wanted to see and then we go to science fiction," Harry said.

Hermione leaned back against him again and nodded. "Back to the Future is a good choice. What was the horror one?"

"Alien," Harry said.

Tonks perked up at that and widened her eyes. "Alien? Yeah I'm moving." She left her armchair and budged Harry over to muscle into the space on his other side, pushing Shiva off the couch.

"Hey! I was sitting there!" Shiva grumbled.

"Yeah well this movie scares my hair white. The second one is great fun, but this one is scary as hell. So I'm sitting next to the one who suggested it so he's the one going deaf with my screams and taking the brunt of my arm clinging."

Hermione twisted to eye Tonks. "You do realize I am also sitting right here so you will be screaming me deaf as well?"

"Your problem for associating with the boy, Hermione," Tonks stated matter-of-factly. Hermione shook her head in exasperation, but couldn't dispute that fact.

"Well that certainly doesn't bode well," Susan muttered. "Is my boggart going to end up changing after this?"

"Don't worry, Susan," Hannah said with a rueful smile, "Neville will protect us."

"Yup, that I will." Neville puffed his chest out causing a round of laughter.

Luna looked up from petting Crookshanks. The little part-Kneazle was curled up on the girl's lap and purring contentedly. "Tracey, I was not here for the last round of movies so I am not certain of proper procedure. If I get scared may I hide with you? Harry seems to be taken already." Tracey chuckled but nodded.

"Alright all, let's start this thing," Shiva said as she hit play.

A little under an hour later almost everyone was glaring at Harry. Hermione's head was buried in his chest and Tonks had dug claw marks into his other arm. Daphne growled low. "Harry, your movie choosing privileges are hereby revoked. I am going to have nightmares about that chestburster thing until the day I die."

"Didn't you fight a basilisk though?" Luna asked from the other side of Tracey. Her voice was muffled since she was currently burrowing into the older girl's side much like Hermione was with Harry.

"Give me a thousand year old basilisk over that thing any day."

Tracey shrugged as best she could. "I still say it's better than Freddy."

"I could've sworn I remember it being bigger from when Dudley was watching it," Harry muttered sullenly.

"I would really rather it not get much bigger than that," Remus muttered. "Imagine something larger jumping out of someone's chest."

"Just keep watching," Tonks said finally loosening her grip a bit. "It gets bigger."