Hi

This will be a multi-chaptered fic centred around the Marauders from their last night at Hogwarts to the end of the First Wizarding War, following all their lives through happiness, sadness, terror and peace.

Co-written by my twin sister, Happy-day Girl, this also features an established relationship between Remus and Sirius, but it is NOT centred on this. It will contain swearing, adults themes and a whole host of characters.

So, please read, follow and review as we travel through the three years that changed the Marauders lives forever….

Clutching their ribbon-tied scrolls to their chests as if they were prized batons, four men and a woman made their way down a hilly path.

The wind whipping up their hair in the early July sunshine, they settled themselves down at the waters' edge, the small waves lapping at the grassy shore against a backdrop of the bluest sky.

'Well, that's it.' Sighed a bespectacled black haired man, leaning backwards against an old willow tree, closing his eyes. 'We're free.'

'Too right, Prongsy' grinned a handsome man, long hair dancing about his face. 'And not a year too soon.'

The only female in the quintet laughed, her eyes shining. 'Admit it, Padfoot; come September you'll be begging to come back!'

'You think so?' barked Sirius, grabbing a small pebble and lobbing it at the red-headed Lily Evans, who ducked easily and stuck out her tongue, pulling the hem of her robes from under her legs.

'And all we've got to show for it is a frame-friendly scroll.' Remus Lupin frowned, eyeing his ceremonial graduation scroll with distaste. Two long cuts were engrained in his cheek, still not healed from the last Full.

Sirius laughed, leaning backwards so he was resting his head across his boyfriend's lap. 'And the bucket-full of OWLs and NEWTs don't mean a thing, eh?'

Remus grinned and whacked Sirius on the head with his scroll, Sirius laughing.

'I can't believe it's over. I can still remember the night we were sorted.' A small, timid voice floated in from just to the side of the tree. The mousy haired Peter Pettigrew was watching his group of friends avidly from the side-lines.

'Yep, all those years ago.' Sighed James, throwing an arm around Lily and dragging her down, so they were lying side by side on the grass. 'And now it's over. Gone.'

'Don't sound so negative' admonished Lily, looking up at her boyfriend.

James chuckled lowly, stretching his neck so he could see Sirius, winking.

'All right, all right. Waay back in the gloomy past, on September 1st 1971, four short, scrawny, shy, but ultimately brilliant first years began their magical journey through Hogwarts. Enduring lessons of varying degrees of difficulty, evading the ever-present shadow of Filch and his mangy feline, three of the four discovering a dark and horrific secret of the fourth-' James broke off his monologue to wink at Remus, who nodded his head in reciprocation-' combating the idiotic, greasy haired, hooked nosed, pale faced Death Ea- oof!'

James rubbed at his stomach were Lily had punched him, grinning. 'Ok, Evans… combating Snivellus Snape on a daily basis, becomes the four single greatest animagi of our time, single handedly keeping a werewolf in check once a month and finally, after all of that, graduating, with honours no less, from the famous Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with all limbs attached, I think we've done pretty well.'

Sirius was staring at his best friend with his mouth open. 'Hey, Prongs?' he called.

'Yeah?'

'You're the world's biggest prat, you know that?'

James threw his head back and laughed, really laughed. The laugh turned infectious and soon Lily, Remus and Sirius were laughing with him, remembering the good times of the last seven years of their lives.

Peter however, did not laugh. He was eying the Black Lake with narrowing eyes.

'And now there's a War.' He mumbled, wringing his hands in his lap.

The mood soured at once. Sirius shot a glare at Peter which went unnoticed; Peter had turned his watery-eyed stare to Lily, who smiled back at him gently.

'It'll be alright, Wormy.' She placated.

'Yeah' Piped up Sirius, 'We won't let any Death Eaters nab you!'

'Pads!' cried Lily, glaring at him.

'What? There's no use worrying about it! The War is here, that's that. We've got to fight, or we'll die, it's as simple as that!'

'Yeah, but can't you see Pete's-'

'There's no time to be scared! It's coming soon and we've all got to be prepared!' Sirius spat, a determined look etched across his face.

'Pads…calm down' Remus placed a calming hand on Sirius's shoulder, but Sirius shrugged him off.

'All these years, since we learned there was going to be a war, we've been dreaming of this moment! Of fighting off hordes of Death Eaters and beating old Voldy! And now, when the time has finally arrived, we've all started whining!'

'I wasn't!' interjected Peter, who was watching Sirius's speech with fearful eyes.

'Well good to hear it!' Sirius cried, reaching over and clapping Peter on the back. 'We're all in this together, right?'

'Right' murmured Peter, avoiding Sirius' stoic gaze. Sirius nodded and sank back, resting his back against Remus' arm.

'When you've all stopped getting your knickers in a twist, I think it's about time for the feast!' James clambered to his feet, pulling Lily up with him. He clutched her to his side as they walked slowly back towards the castle. Peter shot a furtive look at Sirius and Remus before hurrying off after the couple.

'Come on, Moony.' Sirius held out a hand to pull Remus up, the werewolf chuckling as he was crushed against the animagus by the force of the pull.

They followed the tracks made by the other three, walking in a comfortable silence. Remus looked quickly at Sirius, who caught his eye.

'What?'

Remus sighed, 'Maybe Wormtail was right…' he began.

Sirius groaned, 'Not you, too!'

'No, I mean… maybe we're not ready.'

'Bullshit!' Sirius spat angrily. 'We're more than ready!'

'But-'

'Listen, I just wanna eat some food, drink some Butterbeer and have a good last night with the people I love!' he declared, smiling broadly. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the younger man's temple.' Is that too much to ask?' Remus snorted and flung an arm around Sirius' shoulders, pulling him closer.

'Not at all.' He whispered into Sirius' hair.

Smiling, the couple made their way back up the steep slopes of the ground for the final time, not forgetting, once they reached the top, to take one long, lasting panoramic look of their surroundings.

'I bet Pete's already eaten half the pudding' laughed Sirius, pulling Remus into the entrance hall by his hand.

They joined the throng of celebrating students as they made their way into the Great Hall.

Not one was thinking about the impending War. Not one thinking about the horrors that would soon tear through their lives.

All enjoying their first, and for some of them, their last night of freedom.

It won't be all angst and ganging up on Peter, but tensions will be stretched in war…

Hope you enjoyed the first chapter, please review it would mean a lot : )

More soon….