James Potter had always like a challenge. Growing up, his parents had been retired Aurors who despite their age, were extremely adept at knowing when he was up to no good. He hadn't found this discouraging at all. In fact, it had been become a sort of game for him to try to put one over on Mr. and Mrs. Potter. It had quelled some of his boredom as an only child.
He should have known this same determination would follow him to Hogwarts. James was even more thrilled by the mischief he managed at school. He had not just two people to fool, but an entire staff of professors. Admittedly, with Sirius Black on his side and his father's invisibility cloak he had an advantage, but there was more risk involved now that they had so many people who could potentially catch them.
This was exactly why they had taken to exploring at night, after the prefects had finished their patrols and the only one lurking in the corridors would be Argus Filch, the grumpy old caretaker. It was the perfect time to go exploring for the secret passageways they'd heard rumors about. James and Sirius had been at Hogwarts just shy of two months and this would be their third time sneaking out after curfew.
James trod quietly over to the bed across from his. His eyes darted at the ones on either side of him. Not noticing any peculiar movement, he felt safe to speak. "Sirius?" he whispered.
The curtain was yanked back quickly. "Evening," said Sirius with a grin. He looked at the clock on their wall. "Or should I say morning?"
"You shouldn't say anything if you don't want to wake this lot up," replied James quietly, nodding towards the two other beds in the the room.
The two boys started to move towards the door. James had his wand in one hand and his invisibility cloak in the other. They lit their wands just enough to see and tried to navigate through the somewhat messy room. Unfortunately, James managed to trip on a discarded rucksack and fell with a loudthump. Sirius, brought to an unexpected halt, tripped over the other boy.
Sirius swore under his breath, scrambling to his feet. "Do you think Lupin and Pettigrew heard that?"
A bleary-eyed Remus Lupin emerged from his four-poster bed. "You'll want to be quieter than that if you don't want to get caught by Filch," he said, yawning.
"Not to mention his mad cat," added Peter Pettigrew, sticking his head out from his own red curtains. "I swear the bloody thing talks to him."
James straightened his glasses, which had gone askew during his fall. "And what would either of you know about avoiding Filch?" he asked curiously from his place on the ground. His wand was still in his hand, the light shining in their faces.
Both boys seemed surprised to be included in conversation with James. James and Sirius had hit it off from the train ride, and had become fast friends. Peter wasn't quite how to make new friends, and so he only spoke to those he already knew. He talked most with his cousin, a third year in their house, but the older boy had his own friends. Remus did not seem to want any friends at all. Quiet as he was, Remus's scars were a subject of intrigue to the boys in his dorm, but he did not offer more than a few words about them.
Yet Remus did not seem unfriendly when he answered James's question. "Well, that cloak of yours isn't exactly soundproof," He gestured to the silvery material laying next to James. "So you might want to learn to whisper. Or avoid hallways with an echo."
"I can whisper," protested Sirius.
Remus said nothing, but a small smile crept up on his lips.
"What about you, Pettigrew?" James rose up and directed his attention towards the brown-haired boy. "Know anything we don't?"
Peter's pale blue eyes lit up and he left his bed entirely. "I was looking for my Potions book the other evening and I saw Filch pass through a wall. I mean- you probably couldn't use it most of the time, but it'd be helpful to know what sort of thing you've got to look for." He looked nervously between the two boys, as if waiting for approval.
James and Sirius were looking at each other. They began to speak in half sentences, which confused the other boys to no end. "D'you think…?"
"We ought to at least…"
"But he should-"
"-Yeah, I know, him too."
"That settles it." said Sirius, clapping his hands. "You're coming with us."
Peter looked pleasantly surprised. Remus went pale and frowned. "What do you need me for?" muttered the blond boy. "Pettigrew's the one who knows where the passage is,"
"You're clever," supplied James, grinning. He rumpled his messy hair. "You both are. And that's good enough for us."
"Are you too scared, Lupin?" challenged Sirius. He turned quickly on Peter. "Pettigrew wants to come. Don't you, Peter?"
Peter nodded enthusiastically. "Sounds like a laugh. C'mon, Lupin, give it a go."
James snatched up his invisibility cloak and held it over himself, Peter and Sirius. He kept it held up, waiting for Remus to decide. "You know, you don't always have to do everything by yourself, mate." James told him.
Remus stepped forward until he was under the cloak. He smiled, his marred cheeks dimpling. "I'll keep that in mind."