"Come on, come on!" Sirius encouraged quietly, his voice rough as he tried
to whisper, yet still be heard by his four friends. "We're almost there!"
Turning again, the Animagus raced off into the darkness, his friends
stumbling behind him.
"Sirius, slow up! We can't see in the dark as well as you!" Lily Evans protested irately, tripping for the umpteenth time. James caught her gracefully, ever the Quidditch player.
"I don't have a problem," Remus muttered quietly. He trotted along flawlessly, his night vision aided by his condition of being a werewolf. Long legs carried him over imperfections in the ground. With one hand, he steadied a muttering, whining Peter Pettigrew. "How close are we, mate? And where the hell are we goin' anyway?"
"You'll see!" the attractive brunet encouraged, grinning. His white teeth and bright eyes flashed in the dim light of his wand, the only one that he would allow to be lit as they raced through the long, winding tunnel. Sirius' laugh could be heard bouncing off the walls, light and teasing as he swerved to the right. The ground sloped sharply up and out of consideration for his poor, blind friends Sirius slowed. He reached back and helped Peter, smiling down at him in a way that always made the ladies melt. "Come on up, Peter. Don't worry, you can rest your feet soon enough."
"I don't understand," Lily whispered into James' ear, "How Remus can be so tolerant of Peter." She climbed up the slope quickly and easily, offering James a hand up.
Ignoring the proffered hand, James crawled up beside Lily, pausing a moment to readjust his rumpled shirt. "You're just not used to him is all, love. Peter is always like this, and most of us are used to it." He shrugged and offered Lily his hand, smiling charmingly. "Don't worry; the more time you spend with me, the more you'll get accustomed to it."
"I hope so," she murmured, nestling her hand in James'. A smile creased her gentle face as his warm fingers wrapped around hers.
"Hey, lovebirds! Come on! It's just around the corner!" Sirius spoke louder, obviously in the clear from being heard any longer.
"You keep saying that," Remus retorted, steadying Peter once -again-. "It's been 'just around the corner' for the last half an hour."
"It was just around the corner...we just hadn't gotten to the corner yet." Grinning widely, Sirius whispered to his wand and light erupted from it, filling the lawn with blue-tinted light, illuminating the huge house before them. All four friends stopped whatever they were doing.
Towering columns reached into the heavens, supporting a large roof. Windows, broken by vandals, reflected the dim light back in broken segments to the Marauders, wide, soulless eyes begging to tell their story, to find their soul again. It sent shivers down every spine. Double French doors swung on rusted hinges, creaking in the breeze.
"It's...huge...and..." Generally at least passably eloquent, James was completely stunned by the large building. A gust of wind blew past him, shifting his long hair around his head to look terribly sex-rumpled.
"And it's so beautiful..." Lily continued. "Sirius...how did you find this place?"
"Well, you remember that day that I told you guys to tell the professors I was sick so I could cut class?" The painfully attractive brunet turned to face his friends. Remus quirked a brow at him and shook his head.
"Yeah, I remember that. And, as I recall, you got caught."
"Snitched on," James corrected. "Snitched on by Severus Snape." That name fell of his tongue like poison. Lily squeezed his hand tightly, shooting him a reproving glare that he arduously avoided meeting.
Sirius bit back a snarl, but was unable to hold back his quiet words, "Severus didn't snitch on me. Severus would never snitch on me." Remus looked up, startled, one brow raised in curiosity at his friend of long standing. The tall brunet gave Lupin a cocky grin, obviously brushing past the subject.
"You and I, Black, are going to have a long talk..." Remus said, just quietly enough that only Black could hear him.
"Anyway," he continued, brushing off Remus rather effectively, "I wandered out towards the groundkeeper's cabin, and found this tunnel thing. Bored out of my skull as I was, I followed it, and found this place. I was going to go inside, but something kinda...told me?...I was supposed to bring you guys here, too. You have no clue how hard it was to get back into Hogwarts without being caught by the Profs, though." Turning to the house, Sirius opened his arms wide and laughed a little. "And here we are!"
"S-Sirius..." Peter stammered. "This place...this place is creepy. Are you sure we should be here?"
"Of course I'm sure! Am I ever wrong?"
A resounding "Yes!" came from three of the four people behind him. Sirius turned to glare at each of them in turn. "I appreciate the support, guys," he muttered. "Are you coming with me or not?" Hands on his hips, Black watched the four of them deliberate in their own minds.
"I'm going," Remus said first, stepping past Peter to stand beside Sirius. He pinched his friend's arm hard, leaning over to whisper, "You've got some serious explaining to do, Sirius."
"Later," he responded, shaking his persistent friend off of his arm. "Anybody else?"
There was a quiet scuffle in the back, resulting in both Lily and James stepping forward, James looking more than vaguely discontent. "We're -both- going with you," Lily voiced, shooting James a hot glare before stepping up to the other side of Sirius. James followed shortly after, standing behind his mule-headed girlfriend. "What about you, Peter?" she asked kindly, smiling encouragingly at the terrified student.
"I...um...well...uh..." he stammered, completely lost for words or decision.
"Come on, Pettigrew, decide already!" Sirius said jokingly. He winked at his little friend, then offered him a hand. "Come on; without you, it's just not the same. We've gotta be all four."
"Plus one," the only female added sharply, yelping softly as James poked her in the side to silence her.
"Plus one," Black agreed, never taking his eyes from Peter. The little student finally accepted the hand, sliding his own clammy hand into Sirius' larger, warm one. "Good. Now come on." Pulling Peter up with him, Black released Pettigrew and led the group towards the house that loomed above them in the darkness. A particularly malicious breeze blew across them, sending shivers up each spine, chased by goosebumps. It seemed a voice could be heard whispering to them, calling them...
And a pair of eyes could be seen in one of the windows...
"Sirius, slow up! We can't see in the dark as well as you!" Lily Evans protested irately, tripping for the umpteenth time. James caught her gracefully, ever the Quidditch player.
"I don't have a problem," Remus muttered quietly. He trotted along flawlessly, his night vision aided by his condition of being a werewolf. Long legs carried him over imperfections in the ground. With one hand, he steadied a muttering, whining Peter Pettigrew. "How close are we, mate? And where the hell are we goin' anyway?"
"You'll see!" the attractive brunet encouraged, grinning. His white teeth and bright eyes flashed in the dim light of his wand, the only one that he would allow to be lit as they raced through the long, winding tunnel. Sirius' laugh could be heard bouncing off the walls, light and teasing as he swerved to the right. The ground sloped sharply up and out of consideration for his poor, blind friends Sirius slowed. He reached back and helped Peter, smiling down at him in a way that always made the ladies melt. "Come on up, Peter. Don't worry, you can rest your feet soon enough."
"I don't understand," Lily whispered into James' ear, "How Remus can be so tolerant of Peter." She climbed up the slope quickly and easily, offering James a hand up.
Ignoring the proffered hand, James crawled up beside Lily, pausing a moment to readjust his rumpled shirt. "You're just not used to him is all, love. Peter is always like this, and most of us are used to it." He shrugged and offered Lily his hand, smiling charmingly. "Don't worry; the more time you spend with me, the more you'll get accustomed to it."
"I hope so," she murmured, nestling her hand in James'. A smile creased her gentle face as his warm fingers wrapped around hers.
"Hey, lovebirds! Come on! It's just around the corner!" Sirius spoke louder, obviously in the clear from being heard any longer.
"You keep saying that," Remus retorted, steadying Peter once -again-. "It's been 'just around the corner' for the last half an hour."
"It was just around the corner...we just hadn't gotten to the corner yet." Grinning widely, Sirius whispered to his wand and light erupted from it, filling the lawn with blue-tinted light, illuminating the huge house before them. All four friends stopped whatever they were doing.
Towering columns reached into the heavens, supporting a large roof. Windows, broken by vandals, reflected the dim light back in broken segments to the Marauders, wide, soulless eyes begging to tell their story, to find their soul again. It sent shivers down every spine. Double French doors swung on rusted hinges, creaking in the breeze.
"It's...huge...and..." Generally at least passably eloquent, James was completely stunned by the large building. A gust of wind blew past him, shifting his long hair around his head to look terribly sex-rumpled.
"And it's so beautiful..." Lily continued. "Sirius...how did you find this place?"
"Well, you remember that day that I told you guys to tell the professors I was sick so I could cut class?" The painfully attractive brunet turned to face his friends. Remus quirked a brow at him and shook his head.
"Yeah, I remember that. And, as I recall, you got caught."
"Snitched on," James corrected. "Snitched on by Severus Snape." That name fell of his tongue like poison. Lily squeezed his hand tightly, shooting him a reproving glare that he arduously avoided meeting.
Sirius bit back a snarl, but was unable to hold back his quiet words, "Severus didn't snitch on me. Severus would never snitch on me." Remus looked up, startled, one brow raised in curiosity at his friend of long standing. The tall brunet gave Lupin a cocky grin, obviously brushing past the subject.
"You and I, Black, are going to have a long talk..." Remus said, just quietly enough that only Black could hear him.
"Anyway," he continued, brushing off Remus rather effectively, "I wandered out towards the groundkeeper's cabin, and found this tunnel thing. Bored out of my skull as I was, I followed it, and found this place. I was going to go inside, but something kinda...told me?...I was supposed to bring you guys here, too. You have no clue how hard it was to get back into Hogwarts without being caught by the Profs, though." Turning to the house, Sirius opened his arms wide and laughed a little. "And here we are!"
"S-Sirius..." Peter stammered. "This place...this place is creepy. Are you sure we should be here?"
"Of course I'm sure! Am I ever wrong?"
A resounding "Yes!" came from three of the four people behind him. Sirius turned to glare at each of them in turn. "I appreciate the support, guys," he muttered. "Are you coming with me or not?" Hands on his hips, Black watched the four of them deliberate in their own minds.
"I'm going," Remus said first, stepping past Peter to stand beside Sirius. He pinched his friend's arm hard, leaning over to whisper, "You've got some serious explaining to do, Sirius."
"Later," he responded, shaking his persistent friend off of his arm. "Anybody else?"
There was a quiet scuffle in the back, resulting in both Lily and James stepping forward, James looking more than vaguely discontent. "We're -both- going with you," Lily voiced, shooting James a hot glare before stepping up to the other side of Sirius. James followed shortly after, standing behind his mule-headed girlfriend. "What about you, Peter?" she asked kindly, smiling encouragingly at the terrified student.
"I...um...well...uh..." he stammered, completely lost for words or decision.
"Come on, Pettigrew, decide already!" Sirius said jokingly. He winked at his little friend, then offered him a hand. "Come on; without you, it's just not the same. We've gotta be all four."
"Plus one," the only female added sharply, yelping softly as James poked her in the side to silence her.
"Plus one," Black agreed, never taking his eyes from Peter. The little student finally accepted the hand, sliding his own clammy hand into Sirius' larger, warm one. "Good. Now come on." Pulling Peter up with him, Black released Pettigrew and led the group towards the house that loomed above them in the darkness. A particularly malicious breeze blew across them, sending shivers up each spine, chased by goosebumps. It seemed a voice could be heard whispering to them, calling them...
And a pair of eyes could be seen in one of the windows...