Liberties of Summer [CLOSED]

Basil nearly jumped from the car when Peter stopped. Running ahead he quickly unlocked his brother's flat to see if Peter had 'Basil proofed' his home. That included anything the pyromaniac could turn into an explosive. He'd already been forced to a search of his person and trunk as soon as he'd crossed the barrier. Which was why he'd snuck some into Lexi's trunk when he was occupied. The blond just hoped that he wouldn't rat him out because it was like Lexi always knew whenever Basil was plotting.

"Oi!" He said coming into the living room after his search. A pout was on his face and he sullenly crossed his arms. Peter just gave his brother a look as he dumped the younger boy's trunk and bag on the floor. "Where'd you go an' put my fings?"

The car ride had been pretty relaxed, now that Alex thought about it. The car rides with his biological father had always been so... tense... that Alex had never really thought about it much. Peter had known Alex since he was small, so he was relieved that at least through all of this, he would be living with someone he knew, Basil not included.

While Basil had run ahead into the house, Alex took his time to unload his trunk and study the place. It wasn't all that bad, and actually looked better than where he'd lived previously. Following Peter into the house, unconsciously never letting the older boy step behind him, Alex crossed into the living room and set his trunk out of the way, turning with his back to the wall. Raising an eyebrow at Basil, he shook his head. He was quite aware that there were explosive materials in his trunk, as the older boy had been so ecstatic when Alex was coming to live with Basil's older brother. It meant possibilities to hide his bangers and whatnot. He was still debating on telling Peter they were in his trunk... Hmm, good blackmail material maybe? No, he shook his head. He was quite done with blackmailing Basil after last year. No thank you.

"This place is... tolerable," he commented.

"Thanks," Peter replied dryly to the boy that was his brother in all but blood. "Make sure it stays that way, yeah?"

He ruffled the boy's hair and tossed a wave as he headed for the door. "Cash is in the usual place. Gotta run, have a rehersal."

Basil glared when his brother at the door popped back in and stated that Lexi was in.charge. "But I'm older!"

"Alex is more responsible," Peter grinned as he left.

Basil grumbled until he was sure that his brother was gone. His mood immediately changed as he pounced on his best friend's trunk. Rubbing his hands together he grabbed his hidden bangers and giggled. Glancing up at his friend his face nearly split in two. "I jus' had a wicked idea!"

He nearly cackled. He remembered when they were little and Lexi thought Peter's guitar was evil or some such thing. He would need his friend's lockpicking skills. After Basil had accidentally blown up his last one, all intruments were under lock and key.

He had thankfully seen the hand coming from Peter, and years of hiding reactions kept him from doing more than glaring at the hand that was messing up his hair. He reached a hand up to fix his hair back into place just as Peter popped out with the excuse of rehearsal.

"He does have a point, Sil," Alex said with a smirk. "You're about as responsible as a spoiled lion in a zoo."

The smirk cleared off when Basil told him he had a idea. That was never a good thing for Lexi's life or even sanity. But if he let the boy do as he pleased Peter might not exactly let him stay anymore, he reasoned to himself. Maybe Peter only wanted him here to keep Basil in line? It certainly made sense to him.

Resolved to his new responsibility, he narrowed his eyes. "The word idea come from you has never been good. The fact you have those bangers of yours from my trunk is also doubling the statistics that something is about to blow up."

The pyromaniac didn't bother to reply about the zoo comment. He was a lion, a Gryffindor and Lexi should know by now that if there was a way to get into trouble then Basil would find it. The blond loved to have fun and to drag his friend along with him. Lexi was smart and could think of ways to get away with most anything. He snickered when the other boy's smirk disappeared although he was confused for a minute about what statistics had do to with anything.

"I fought I had lotsa good ideas!" Best idea he ever had was when he shoved that banger in that bully's pocket. It got him his best friend. And he was able to talk Lexi into coming here! He was full of good ideas! Some were not so good like when Peter got glued to the toilet seat, or when he set off all the fireworks in his step-father's car. Or when he taught Sarah to cry whenever she saw green food.

"It'ssa welcome home fing." He pleaded. "I 'ave to do somefin'!"

"Those good ideas have always had an unhealthy amount of stress added to my life in the form of a little thing called consequences," he drawled out as he walked over to his friend and debated whether or not to just grab the phone hanging from the wall and dialing the number Peter had given him earlier. Tattling was never his favorite, as he knew what it could do in other situations, but if it got Basil to not blow up Peter's apartment...

"Alright," he sighed. "What is your welcome home gift... Please don't be thinking of destroying any of your brother's property. He'd probably kill us both, or lock you in the bathroom... again..."

"'Ave to admit, it was worf it,yeah?" Basil grinned. He made use of his being locked in the loo to cause more mayhem. That was a good memory! Peter took to frisking him since then. If his brother was a bit more paranoid now also, that wasn't his fault.

"I fink I already done th' powdered milk in th' bed, stuffed up th' shower, used nail polish on th' soap..." Ticking each prank off on his fingers as he thought about what he could do to annoy his brother. Canting his head he glanced first at Lexi then the clock and back at Lexi. A mischievious grin stole over his face. Peter would be gone for a few hours. "Leeeeeexiiiiiiii," he sing.songed. "You're good wiff potions."

He arched an eyebrow at Basil. "Actually, I'm quite horrible at Potions. Professor Snape nearly tried to murder me I think when I mixed a few ingredients up." It could possibly be because he wore colored contacts, which stung his eyes and made it hard for him to deal with the steam of different potions for very long.

The list of pranks done just in the vicinity of the bathroom alone caused Alex to shake his head as he made his way to a stand alone mirror near the end of the hall. Small contact case in hand, he made short work of removing his contacts and slipping his glasses onto his face, blinking rapidly at the change. Bright, familiar blue eyes stared back at Basil in an unamused look.

"Just what is your plan, Sil? I'm sorely tempted to rat you out for once. If only to save my own skin."

Basil pouted at his best friend. "You wouldn'..."

Lexi would. Which had Basil almost sulking. He had thought the Slytherin liked potions. Maybe he was lying about liking the potions stuff he'd gotten for him at Christmas? Now he would have to make sure to get something Lexi really wanted for his birthday.

Still, Lexi got better grades then he did and it was a wonder Professor Snape hadn't yet banned Basil from his classroom. Luckily, he was able to copy most of the practicle by watching his classmates. The written stuf...he usually asked Lexi to do and if he refused, Basil paid a Ravenclaw to write up all his assignments.

Shrugging, he stood. "Tha's out, so maybe..."

Grinning, he jumped up, grabbed Lexi's shirtsleeve, and dragged him to his brother's room. Pointing up at the ceiling which had large loose tiles. "Fink if'n I liftcha you can move em?"

Alex was taken aback when he was mandhandled via his sleeve being tugged on. Against his will, he was dragged into a bedroom, no doubt Peter's from the looks of it. Looking up at the loose tile he settled for giving Basil a deadpanned look.

"If you lift me, I'm not entirely sure you'll not be able to drop me. There was that one time when you tried to put me at the top of the bookcase in primary school and I fell off of it almost instantly." Memories were very hard to forget, and Alex never forgot the concussion he'd sported, or the sprained arm he'd gotten as a result of his friend's prankster tendencies.

The blond teen huffed. What was wrong with his friend? Was being put in charge going to the other's head? Cracking a grin at the reminder of that time, he shrugged. "Wasn' my fault you was ligh' and tha' bookcase wasn' stable!"

Lexi had been a tiny shrimp! When Basil had first brought his friend home he hid behind the pilow when Peter had come home. Peter had thought Basil had been making the pillow move with his weirdness. Eyeing his friend he informed, "I got muscles now and you don' weigh tha' much. 'Less you been eatin' like you're s'posed ta."

Basil knew him too well, unfortunately. Alex had a penchant to avoid eating, and sometimes sleeping, like it were a curse. He shrugged at the argument before sighing, debating on if this prank would be worth the consequential headache and scolding from Peter.

"If you insist," Alex relented, making his way to directly under the ceiling spot and looking at Basil in waiting. "Alright, what's your diabolical plan today, Basi?" A nickname he seldom used, if only because he felt calling Basil this was sometimes childish sounding, but during times he participated in pranks, he felt it appropriate.

Sticking his tongue out, Basil couldn't help but grin smugly in victory. He pumped his fist in the air and snickered. If he was using that nickname then he was in. Wouldn't stop Lexi later pointing the finger at Basil, but it wasn't like his brother was stupid. He would know it was all Basil and had somehow gotten the other boy to help.

"Goin' to pay 'im back for tha' shavin' cream stunt." Pulling out a remote he'd stashed in a pocket of his cargo pants he waggled it. He always wore pants, shirts, whatever clothing that provided many pockets and hiding places. He'd even found a pair of shoes once that had pockets on the sides. He wore those even repaired with duct tape until his mother threw them out.

"We're gonna drive 'im spare. Hide th' radio up there an we turn it on randomly." Beaming at his cleverness he waited to see what Lexi would say.

"Shaving cream stunt?" echoed Alex as he removed his sweat shirt in favor of wearing just the slightly worn green shirt he had underneath. Most of his clothing was second-hand, but he felt at least they weren't likely to be missed if they were destroyed by any of Basil's pranks. At any rate, he quite liked the sweat shirt so he removed it so that no harm came to the clothing.

He looked back at the boy, blue eyes alight in interest. "Yo want me to put the radio up in the ceiling? Well give me a boost then. Just don't drop me or you'll find yourself in danger of several hexes to your person when you least expect it." He looked back up. "An upper year taught me a shrinking hex and I'm not afraid to shrink your underwear at some point."

Basil cringed covering his bits at the thought. He knew Lexi would do it too. Hadn't the younger boy got him back after the firework debacle when they were in primary just before Basil went to Hogwarts?

He'd never had a wedgie although Peter had threatened him with one a time or two. Shrinking underwear would probably be worse! The image though was kind of funny causing him to crack up. Not wanting Lexi to hex him he waited until he could keep the laughs in.

"S'friend fought it would be funny to replace th' whipped cream wiff shavin' cream." Basil gagged and shuddered at the memory of it.

Cupping his hands he waited for Lexi to put his foot on his hands. After the lighter boy was in place he'd toss up the radio. He'd learned not to have the climber holding whatever it was. Made it harder and might drop it.

Alex cringed at the idea of whipped cream being replaced with shaving cream. He searched his immaculate brain for something to adequately describe what he felt at hearing this, but the only thing that could come from his lips was the word "gross" as he gave him a disgusted look.

Concentrating on the task at hand, he stepped on the older boy's offering hand and used his small stature to jump upwards, his small hands coming to stop at the ceiling tile if he reached hard enough. Wobbling a little at the balance difference, he pushed at the tile and got it open easily enough. As he looked down to get the radio from the prankster, the sound of the front door alerted him to that Peter was coming.

"Bugger," Alex said as the elder brother came into his room to see the two, Alex being held up by Basil.

Hearing Lexi's muttered word, Basil who'd been looking upwords tried to look to the door. All he saw was Lexi's legs so he had to crane his head around the obstruction. Seeing his brother he gave a weak 'oops, we're busted' smile. Before he could open his mouth to even attempt an explination and hopefully keep Lexi from pointing the finger, Peter beat him to it. The older blond held up his hands shaking his head. "I'm not going to even ask."

Basil could tell his brother was trying to decide if he should leave or interfere. He pouted when Peter came and grabbed Lexi around the waist and held the Slytherin upside down. "I forgot my lucky pick. Good thing too," he said ignoring Lexi's protests.

The Gryffindor crossed his arms amd huffed before he smirked. "You'll hafta changed if'n Lexi barfd on ya!"

((OOC: Permission to GM Lexi))

Alex didn't have much of a chance to react before the older boy's hands grabbed him from around the waist and turned him around until he was suddenly seeing the ground as the ceiling. Crud. Never a fan of this method that the boy often used on him to remind him that he was that much smaller, Alex squirmed helplessly.

"I'm sure I'd have to change too if I let you two continue on your own merry prank spree," Peter replied as he walked towards the living area and depositing the small boy on the couch. Alex landed with a small inaudible thud and turned around quickly, closing his eyes so he didn't get too dizzy from the movement. "Do I need to call a babysitter? What happened to Alex being in charge here? It looked like either Alex led whatever that was this time, or you're getting too manipulative Basil."

((OOC: Permission to GM Basil and NPC -> Peter))

It had been tempting to blame Lexi just to see him go all angry and have a war between them. That was always fun. Trying to out do each other on getting even. Pretending to be hurt, Basil asked as if affronted, "Wha' you mean? I ain' a manipula'ive person."

He ignored Lexi's snort of disbelief. Ever since they were little Basil had learned to be sneaky and as his brother said manipulative. He was way too much Gryffindor to be in the house of the cunning. And Basil's ambition was just to pull off whatever stunt he was doing or planned.

Hoping to distract his brother he asked, "How come you're back? An' when' you 'ave a lucky pick? You didn' 'ave one a'fore."

He plopped himself next to Lexi as he watched Peter searching. The older blond seemed to grimace before going back to searching. "Yeah well, I do now. And I was also going to pay the electric on the way."

Grabbing a letter he waved it then headed back for the door. Giving a teasing grin he asked, "Sure you don't want a babysitter? Mark's got a really cute cousin in town for the summer."

Alex leaned into the cushions of the couch as he watched Peter. Instead of picking up a guitar pick, he'd grabbed an envelope. Curious, he inclined his head to the side. As Peter was heading out, he said one last thing that flustered Alex slightly, but he didn't outwardly react.

"If you want a babysitter, then we can call up Mark's cousin for you then since you're so interested," Alex responded with a smirk, looking over at the pile that Peter had been searching through.

"What's that?" Alex asked before Peter could leave, pointing out the envelope. "A love letter?"

Peter could have groaned at Alex for spotting things, but he decided to go along with it. "Yeah, kid, it's a love letter telling me all about the cute little kids she'd love to babysit for me. I might call her up if you two get into anymore mischief. Now behave," he told the two before leaving quickly.

Alex waited until the door shut to jump off the couch and rifle through the piles of bills on the counter.

Basil wouldn't have minded having Mark's cousin over. She could do whatever while he and Lexi figured something else to do. Annoying the girl would have worked too. He stayed on the couch until his friend was going through the mail. Lurching to his feet he stumbled trying to get to the table. Seeing a symbol that he knew was for the electric, he grabbed it and a few others to make it look like he was trying to help.

Turning his back as he walked back to the couch he tossed envelopes over his shoulder. Keeping the electric bill he shoved it down his pants then turned back to Lexi with a shrug. "I don' see nuffin'. Lets go back an' find somefing to do to annoy Peter."

Alex peered at the various bills, blue eyes carefully reading the titles as he tugged them out of their envelopes slightly so he could see the headers. Seeing the ones actually labeled by bill companies, he slid them back in and pulled out the next one, stacking them as he went.

He turned to ask Basil something only to see Basil pulling his hands out of his pants. A vein appeared above his eye. "Did you just... stick your hand... down your trousers?" Alex asked slowly, sounding in disbelief but also pure disgust.

"You know what, I'm not even going to ask about that," Alex grimaced and slid off the chair, seeing nothing of interest. Maybe Peter's guitar pick had been in this pile was all? He shook his head and walked back to the couch where he'd placed his bag. Digging through it, he pulled out one of his books that he read for pleasure.

"Want to hear a story?" He asked absentmindedly.

At Lexi's tone the blond paled wondering if he was going to be hexed. He wouldn't put it past the younger boy. He'd outsmarted Basil lots of times and tricked him into confessing when he was up to something. He was very very glad Lexi didn't know mind reading like he'd accused him when they were little. He was going to deny having his hands in his pants but Lexi cut him off.

Breathing in relief he grinned. Running he jumped over the couch and let himself fall onto the cushions. It was just like when they met! Well, after he had been sent to time out, yelled at, his mother called, and a brief spat. Then as he settled down, he realized what Lexi had thought he'd been doing. "Oi! I wasn't petting myself!"

Crossing his arms truly offended Basil scowled. As if he'd do that with Lexi in the room! And there wasn't anything here to get his urges up. Oh, but he'd need a reason since Lexi caught him shoving the letter where he knew Lexi wouldn't go to get it. "Ummm," he shifted as he tried to come up with an.excuse. "I had to unwedgie my wedgie?"

Popping open the book of tales, he leveled Basil with an unimpressed look, not buying the fact the other boy hadn't been messing around with himself down there, but he supposed his excuse worked. Wrinkling his nose, he shot the older boy a disgusted look.

"You might want to fix yourself in a bathroom, not near me, please," Alex gagged before turning his eyes back to the book. "Aragorn sped up on the hill..." he began, eyes scanning the second book of Lord of the Rings, a book he'd started reading with Basil about a month ago.

It was about an hour later when Alex felt his eyes lower themselves slightly, tired. He rubbed at his eyes and yawned, closing the book. "We should probably take a break."