Title: In the Beginning

Author: OracleVortex

Rating: PG13

Warnings: Swearing, dark issues, blood and yaoi (aka boyxboy)

Disclaimer: I do not now, and here on, own anything to do with Harry Potter.

A/N: I was actually writing this for another story when I realized that it didn't fit the way that I had written the marauders in that story. So I've decided to turn it into it's own little story. I figured that I needed to have some background to the marauders, and I've never really tried to write them in their earlier years. So here it is. I hope you enjoy it. Oh, and as always – I'm a SBxRL supporter and if you don't like that sort of thing, then don't read this. I've warned you, and if you go and do it anyway, it's only your own stupid fault.

But anyway, cheers!

Special dedication goes to juniperjames. Much love and cookies, Captain! –salutes-

Sirius pushed the boy into the cart with him and yanked him under a seat as the blond boy and the black haired lad thundered past the compartment. They crouched there for a few minutes, out of breath and sweaty. Feeling the boy look at him, Sirius grinned and reached over to ruffle the dark russet hair with one hand. "See?" He said, wiggling out from under the seat to peer into the hallway, "Isn't that much more satisfying than just letting them push you around?"

The other boy rolled out from the hiding place with surprising agility. He brushed off his gray slacks and stood slowly, regarding Sirius with solemn amber colored eyes. "You really shouldn't have blown Shaping Shavings into their faces, you know. That could blind them."

"Sirius snorted and shook his head. He plopped down on a seat and propped his feet on the one across from him. "They'll be fine," at the same even expression on the other boy's face, he sighed and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Fine – I won't do it again, all right?"

"You might want to apologize to them, too, you know," the lad leaned against the cart door and looked out. "It's been nice running around the train with you, but if you'll excuse me..."

"Where are you going?" Sirius stood and reached to touch his shoulder. The boy spun, catching Sirius' wrist in one hand. The dark-haired youth's eyes widened in surprise.

The other dropped his wrist, expression clouding for a moment, "I should go."

Sirius absently nodded and the boy turned to leave. "Wait!" Sirius said suddenly, "What's your name?"

With the barest of polite smiles, the shorter lad half-turned to say to Sirius, "Remus Lupin."

"Pettigrew, Peter."

There was a set of thumps that equaled to graceless footsteps, and then dead silence.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

A table near the window cheered loudly, and some cast speculative glances at one another.

"Potter, James."

A low yelp suggested that someone had tripped, but there was no accompanying thud that meant the same person had fell. The hall waited in anticipation for the judgment.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The same table against the window cheered again, and one side of benches had to slide apart to let the boy take a seat.

"Good job, James!" Sirius said with a grin; he too had been placed in Gryffindor. Beside him, quiet and rather uneasy at the group of people surrounding him, Remus intently watched the Sorting Ceremony. Sirius introduced him to James, and the russet-haired boy only smiled and nodded.

James slapped Peter on the back enthusiastically, "This is Peter. Found him on the train."

"Hiya," Peter squeaked, eyes watering as James thumped on his back repeatedly.

Their attention was temporarily captured as the Headmaster stood at the front of the room. Professor Dumbledore smoothed out his long white beard and raised his hands to silence the room. Amazingly enough, it worked. "I know you wish you eat, but I would just like to welcome the new students to Hogwarts this year. A few announcements for those returning – be sure to speak to your heads of house about Quidditch team signups and Hogsmeade permission slips. As well, the youth council will be suspended this year as a result of incidents occurring last year." Dumbldore shot a glittering smile at the student body and lowered his hands. "You may begin the feast!"

Digging into the food that magically appeared in front of them, James immediately started into a long and in depth conversation with Sirius about Quidditch and brooms. Remus had taken a plastic fork out of his pocket, but mostly just poked at his plate with it, and Peter listened to the exchange between the two dark-haired boys, and tried to keep up with their speedy talk.

"Do you play?"

"Beater. You?"

"Seeker – this is great, we should try out for house team!"

"Yeah, but in third year."

"What? Why?"

"That's minimum age or something."

"Bullocks! You're lying!"

"You calling me a liar, Potter?"

"Maybe – are you?"

"No!"

"Oh. Oy! What's your broom model?"

"Yellowcard 8, but I'm waiting for the Mercury model in the spring."

"Ooh, that is a good model. I fly an Ice Shard 2."

"Really? I heard the breaks are a bit shoddy after a while, on an Ice Shard..."

"It's a little choppy if you don't know your specific broom alignment, but that's only if you can't realign by instinct."

"That's what the Yellowcard does, but it's with the Buffering charm and only in scorching weather."

"Yeah, I heard about that. But the Mercury—"

"I know. Heaven on a broomstick."

"Couldn't have put it better myself, Sirius."

"You know, I think we're going to get along just fine."

"You know – I think so too."

Remus watched as James and Sirius jumped up and down on their new four-poster beds so as to 'break them in.' Peter was carefully setting up an owl stand by the window, nervously avoiding the various birds brought in by the boys. It seemed that Remus wouldn't be rid of the two hyper lads or the kind tag-a-long. Despite his attempts to fade into the background, Sirius or James would routinely pop in to yank him into some sort of something. They'd already gotten one of the Gryffindor prefects angry when Sirius offered to duel a crazy knight in one of the paintings on the second floor. If they did it again, they would get detention.

Remus sighed and pinned a calendar to the wall beside his bed. Life was not going to be quiet, as he had hoped.

"C'mon Lieutenant!" James bounced off Sirius' bed and dove onto Remus', striking a pose similar to Superman's. "You don't want to sleep on a hard bed, now do you?"

Remus surveyed the damage on a smushed box of chocolate, raising an eyebrow at James. "Lieutenant?"

James saluted, nodding, "Lieutenant Lupin! I'm Captain Potter and that there-"He pointed to Sirius, "-is Admiral Black."

"What about me?" Peter piped up, having finally set up the owl stand.

Sirius did a crazy leap across the room, barely landing on the edge of Peter's bed. "You are Private Pettigrew! Salute, solider!" Peter did so, climbing onto his bed to bounce about like the rest. Sirius was double bounced, and he aimed for Remus' bed and missed, flying headfirst into the drapes hanging around his own bed. There was a loud rip and Sirius crashed into James, sending both of them into a pile on the ground.

"Oww..."

The dorm room burst open, and the same prefect that they had pissed off earlier – Jacob Hewlett – stormed in. "What in Godric's name are you doing in here?" He bellowed. "Didn't I just talk to you four?"

"But I didn't-"

"We were just-"

"It was an acci-"

"I blame th-"

Hewlett passed a hand over his eyes and glared darkly at the boys. "I didn't want to do this, but you have a detention – tomorrow!" With that, he twirled on his heel and slammed the dorm door shut behind him.

Surfacing from the mass of scarlet curtain, James glowered at the closed door. "I don't think I like him."

"I'm afraid I must agree," Sirius said evenly, handing Remus another one of his boxes of accidentally- smushed chocolates. "He needs a lesson in manners."

"I agree," James confirmed. He stood, "But first things first-"He clamped one hand on Sirius' shoulder, grinning broadly. "Will you join me, Admiral Black?"

"Most certainly, Captain Potter."

James turned to Peter and did the same thing. "Will you join us, Private Pettigrew?"

"O-okay!" The smaller boy beamed up at him and rose to stand with him.

The bespeckled boy then turned to Remus. He lightly put his hand on Remus' shoulder, smiling gently. "Will you join us, Lieutenant Lupin?"

Remus stared up at the three, uncomprehending what James had just said, "What?"

"Are you in?"

The boy hesitated and absently glanced at the calendar hanging by his bed. "You want me to be in your group?"

James shook his head, clarifying, "It's more of a brotherhood, really. We stick together through whatever life throws at us, he remain honest and loyal to each other, and we vow to be brothers forever!"

"Comrades," Peter added.

"Fellows in rain and sleet and muddy sunshines," Sirius said with a flair.

"We can be marauders!" James cried, getting into the poetic nature of the group. "We, the few, the Marauders!"

"Why marauders?" Peter asked curiously.

James shrugged and looked at him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Because it sounds cool."

"James," Remus interrupted, "Do you even know what a marauder is?"

The boy frowned and crossed his arms. "...No," he said quietly.

"It's 'someone who attacks in search of booty,'" Remus said blandly, somehow knowing that if he didn't say something, it'd take them the rest of the night to figure it out.

"That doesn't sound nice," Peter said worriedly.

Sirius waved a hand, "That's okay – instead of being 'someone who attacks in search of booty' we can be 'someone who attacks in search of 'pranks!'"

James instantly grinned, "Yes! That's perfect!"

Peter rubbed the back of his head, "Do we have to be someone who attacks? Can't we be someone who trades or negotiates?"

"No," James said firmly, "It must be someone who attacks in search of pranks. Are you in, Pete?"

After looking unsurely from Sirius to James and back again, Peter said in a small voice, "Okay." James and Sirius looked at each other and nodded at the same time. Then the three of them turned to Remus, who was unsuccessfully trying to pretend he was invisible.

"Well?" Sirius said, "What about you?"

Remus looked to the three faces watching him expectantly. James, with his smudged glasses and messy black hair, waited with an innocent, open expression on his face. Peter watched curiously, his wide blue eyes speaking of his unsure resolve with the entire idea. Sirius leaned against the bedpost, flowy black hair framing a narrow face that held an ever-present smile.

"Sure," Remus said, allowing a small smile, "I'm in."

You wanna know my favorite part of this chapter? When Remy takes a plastic spoon out of his pocket and starts eating. . It's so cute!

Remus: -looks uneasily at the silverware-
Sirius: Do you always carry plastic utensils around with you?
Remus: Yes.
Sirius: Why?
Remus: ...Because...I have sensitive fillings?
Sirius: ...What are fillings?
Remus: LOOK OVER THERE!
Sirius: -looks-
Remus: -runs-
Sirius: I don't see anything.

Cheers and bless. - OV