Supernatural: to die would be an awfully big adventure, topaz and experience
a/n: so researching what the hell a topaz is has been interesting. In mythology it can be used for pretty much all things except repelling vampires. In meaning it can be used to represent "true friendship" which I thought is exactly what the Marauders are all about. So here you have it a little story about the Marauders, a topaz and hunting down a vampire.
"What the hell is that?"
Peter stopped in his tracks, staring in confusion at his three best friends who were now all staring at the gem in his hand. Sirius was the one to make the comment and had even taken a step closer to him to take a better look. The wind was beginning to pick up speed causing leaves to rustle and the boys' cloaks to fly around them. It would be absolutely pitch black in the woods if not for the moonlight that slipped through the tree tops.
"What do you mean what the hell is that? It's a topaz!"
The boys continued to stare at Peter like he was an idiot.
Several moments passed with the boys silently looking at each other before James finally spoke up. "I'm sorry, is that supposed to mean something to us?"
Even Remus, who had claimed to have read every sentence in every book about what they had once assumed was a mythical creature, looked at Peter with that expression everyone seemed to wear when Peter said something aloud. That look which made Peter feel incredibly stupid and made him question every word that came out of his mouth.
Sure, half the things that came out of his mouth were unfiltered and thus stupid, but during the times he was being serious he didn't enjoy being treated like a child.
"Topaz, it's supposed to repel vampires," Peter sighed before shaking his head, how had his friends not read about that?
James blinked. "Sorry?"
"I think you mean steel or holy water or crosses," Remus gently told Peter. Peter shook his head with even more force now.
"No, it's definitely right. It's supposed to help strength and invisibility and repel vampires."
Sirius scoffed at this, pointing at the invisibility cloak that was tucked in James' pocket.
"Well, obviously we don't need help with that but it's just a precaution!"
The boys all continued to stare at Peter, all completely astonished at how ridiculous their friend was being.
"Right, anyway," Sirius interrupted the awkward silence, "I didn't skip my beauty sleep to witness Peter being an idiot, I can experience that any other time throughout the day, thank you very much."
James nodded, continuing on with what Sirius was hinting at, "so if we could all move in a Northerly direction, we will finally get to see a real-life vampire with our own eyes."
The boys started moving again, tip-toeing over fallen trees and ducking to avoid the spider webs that hung a little too low for comfort.
The rumours of a vampire living out in the Forbidden Forest had been in existence since Hogwarts first opened its doors. The boys had never given it much thought until only several months prior.
It had been the morning after a particularly bad transformation that Remus had claimed he would rather be a vampire than the monster that possessed him every full moon. It had begun as a joke, discussing how if only they could track the vampire down Remus could get his life long dream of being a blood sucker. Then it had been a dare to see who could do the most research about vampires. Suddenly, before any of them knew what was happening, they decided they would actually go search for the vampire. Not for Remus to actually be turned into one, that would be ludicrous, but just to experience the first meeting with a soulless creature.
"What would you do if Lily was the vampire?" Sirius said loudly, grinning wickedly at his best friend. Remus rolled his eyes, having been just waiting for the name to be brought up. James had finally decided he was going to ask his one true love out which unfortunately for the rest of the Marauders meant that Sirius was yet to be in a situation where he didn't mention Lily's name.
Sometimes it was over toast, asking James what he would do if Lily didn't like marmite. Once or twice it was when they were getting changed in the morning, asking about what James would do if Lily didn't like boys with no chest hair. Most of the time it was such bull crap that Remus blanked out completely.
"I'd love her all the same," James replied, running a hand through his hair.
Peter frowned, "but one minute you'd be snogging and the next she'd have ripped your throat open."
"Ah, but Peter, to die would be an awfully big adventure yet to be killed by Lily Evans would be an honour beyond my wildest dream."
Remus ignored the rest of the laughs and the jokes about Lily Evans being the obvious person to be a vampire. Comments about her red hair and vampirism sharing the common trait of soullessness was something Remus had never truly found amusing.
He was starting to get cold and he was feeling it in his bones that the full moon was only days away. All Remus wanted to do was turn back and go to sleep. Why they couldn't just dress up a life sized doll to look like a vampire and curse it to walk around the school saying "I vant to suck your blood" was beyond Remus.
It had been a joke at first about trying to find the vampire. He hadn't realised they would actually go seek out the rumoured monster.
Surely there couldn't be two monsters on one school ground, it seemed a little bit too much even for a school that was run by witches and wizards.
"You know what," Sirius spoke up several hours later when the boys were growing more tired and hungry by the second, "maybe it has a topaz hence why we can't find it."
"But it couldn't have a topaz because it can't even touch-"
"-No you're definitely right, Sirius," James interrupted poor Peter. "However, do you know what wouldn't have a topaz?"
"A large bowl of freshly made spaghetti bolognaise?" Remus suggested, pausing with the rest of his group who were clearly as bored as he had felt hours prior.
"Exactly what I was thinking, my dear friend," James nodded, smiling at his three best friends. "How about we just tell everyone we found the vampire, had a nice cup of tea and found out they can indeed eat garlic?"
"I like your thinking, James, I really do." Sirius began walking back in the direction of the castle, not even checking over his shoulder to make sure everyone was following him.
Peter was lagging behind the group, slightly disappointed in their lack of findings. As Sirius and James charged ahead, pushing and shoving each other to get in front; Remus slowed his pace to match that of his shortest friend.
His hands were stuffed into his pockets and Remus found himself feeling sorry for his friend. "So where did you read about the topaz?"
Peter looked up, not realising that Remus was walking beside him. "Malfoy mentioned it to me a couple of weeks ago, he let me buy it off him for only a galleon."
It took all his might not to laugh or ridicule Peter, how had he been so gullible?
The two of them continued to walk in silence, Remus refusing to open his mouth in case an insult fell out.
"It would've been cool to meet the vampire, you know? Supernatural things are so cool – I mean, not that you being a werewolf is cool, I mean it's not a bad thing, but-" Peter kept rumbling on and Remus couldn't help but laugh.
"Peter, we go to a school full of magical beings, I'm a werewolf and you three can turn into animals; I think our lives are overloaded with supernatural things!"