Disclaimer: JK owns this shit.
"Spain was absolutely beautiful! I don't know why my parents have waited so long to take me with them. I don't know which city I prefer more… Madrid or Paris."
Four girls were sitting in one of the many compartments aboard the Hogwarts Express retelling their tales of the summer break. Marlene Mckinnon, a tall blonde with blue eyes, was sharing with her friends her lavish adventures across Europe with her parents.
Lily Evans, Alice Prewett, and Molly Greene listened to their friend go on about something they'd probably never experience in their lives. Marlene Mckinnon came from a wealthy background and sometimes forgot that some people didn't completely understand how she lived her life.
"How 'bout you, Mol?" Lily asked from across the compartment to the girl sitting across from her.
Molly was slightly shorter than the three other girls. She had brunette hair that fell to the middle of her back that was wavy near the ends. Her eyes were a shade of brown that mirrored the color of her hair.
"I spent a lot of time with my mum. Went and visited my dad for a bit in London." Her parents had split back when she was a third year. Molly and mother stayed in the small town of Avoch, England where she had grown up. Molly's father, however, made the move to London. She never really understood why and preferred not to talk about the lack of relationship between herself and her father.
"Sounds fun." Marlene flicked her hair over shoulder and stared out the window. Sure it was no Spain, but Molly enjoyed it.
"Yup." Molly and Marlene never quite saw eye to eye. She never understood why Lily and Alice were her friends. She was the complete opposite from the rest of the girls. She focused little on her schoolwork, too much on boys, and was very materialistic. Of course the two girls got along, however, it was unlikely to see the two hanging out alone.
"Well, I met Frank's parents and he met mine." Alice exclaimed with a large grin. "It went smashingly. I think everyone got along well. He said his parents absolutely adored me. Obviously my parents loved him. Who wouldn't?" The two had been exclusive for over a year now and Alice loved to bring him up in almost every conversation. Of course Molly was happy for her close friend but sometimes felt as if she was rubbing it in to the others that they weren't in committed relationships.
"That's lovely Alice. I didn't have any doubts that it would go wrong." Lily always seemed to know the right thing to say to both Alice and Marlene. That was probably why everyone liked her so much. Molly, on the other hand, never knew the right words and usually just left it awkward and fumbled.
One of her many charming qualities was her seemingly lack of interest in others. She was absolutely horrible with dealing with the feelings of other people.
"I'm winning! I'm gonna beat all you wankers!" The shouting and deep laugher rang through the corridors. Three boys were pushing each other in a race to the common room.
One would have thought at first that a group of maybe second or third years would round the corners. But that wasn't the case at all. A group of sixth years, instead, were culprits of the loud goofing off that was occurring through the halls of Hogwarts.
They were managing quite well weaving through all the students in the hallway. That was until they did have to make a sharp turn.
"Not if I have an- Shit!" Limbs were suddenly flailing about and people were knocked to the ground while others jumped out of the way. "Bloody fuck! Why'd you have to get in the way?"
"Watch your mouth, Black." Alice snapped from her position on the ground. She had fallen backwards and landed on her bottom. The three boys, James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew, had ran right through Lily, Molly, Alice, and Marlene. "You shouldn't have been running through the halls anyways."
Lily had had just enough time to jump backwards against the wall. Marlene was lucky enough not to be in the line of fire. Molly and Alice were knocked clear off their feet.
"I told them it was a bad idea." Remus Lupin had his hands shoved in his pockets as he observed the chaos that had occurred. "I'm sure you can gather how well they comprehended what I had said."
"You're supposed to be on our side, Remus." James was sprawled out on the floor beside Alice. Clearly James had run over Alice during the collision.
"Yeah, mate. Stop throwin' us under the bus." Sirius was standing with his arms crossed. "I was winning too." Peter, face first into the stone, only groaned.
"Real mature." Marlene rolled her eyes and threw her hair over her shoulder.
"You weren't winning!" James pulled himself from the ground, "You weren't even close to winning. I was a few steps ahead of you."
"Not true! You're a sore loser, Potter. You knew I was going to win."
"You're full of shit."
"You're an arse." Sirius shoved James roughly enough that he stumbled backwards slightly.
"Yeah, Black?" James said as he took a shove back at Sirius and pushed him back.
Molly and Alice could only watch from their spots on the floor as the two boys began to shove each other. Though it appeared to be harmful, everyone around, however, knew that it was completely the opposite. Their roughhousing was a weekly occurrence.
"Yeah, ya' wan-"
"Will you both cut it out?" Remus, the voice of reason among the group of boys, had spoken up. "Stop fooling around and fix your mess."
"Remus, they got in our way! We shouldn't have to apologize." Peter was holding himself by his arms. He only earned a look of disapproval. Peter, mumbling something, picked himself from the ground. The three, looking like three little boys being scolded by their father, all apologized at the same time. Not a single one made eye contact with anyone.
"That's the best you're gonna get." Remus was right. If he hadn't of been there, they probably wouldn't have gotten any apologies at all.
"Just watch yourselves next time. There's no need to be running through the corridors." Lily had her official voice on while she scolded the boys. All while extending her hand out to Alice to pull her off the ground. "Imagine if you would have knocked a couple of first years down?"
She didn't quite earn the reaction she was hoping for. Instead of three boys nodding in agreement, she got herself three boys laughing hysterically and rambling off a scenario involving first years being completely tossed out of the way when ran over by them.
All in one fluid moment, Remus managed to nudge James in the stomach and extend his hand out to help Molly from the ground.
She accepted the extended hand and used it to pull herself from the ground.
"Well now that that's all settled…" Sirius threw one arm around Lily and the other around Alice. "Why don't you let us gentlemen walk you to the common room? It's the least we can do for you fine ladies."
"I'd rather you not." Marlene once more rolled her eyes. Molly hated that. It was a surprise that her eyes didn't fall out from all the eye rolling.
"Rubbish, Mckinnon." Peter extended his arm and bowed before the girl before grabbing her arm and looping it through his own. Her eyes rolled back into her head. Yet Molly knew she enjoyed any attention she could get from the opposite sex.
Remain still. Don't move and they won't see you. The thought ran through Molly's head. She could see the discomfort in the eyes of Alice and Lily under the tight grasp of Sirius arms. His arms were long enough, and quite muscular enough, to hold both the girls against his sides firmly. Marlene only stared ahead and didn't fight the arm linked around her own. You could run. You're really fast. And small.
"Aye, Greene. Don't think you're in the clear!" James smirked with his arms across his chest.
"I can walk on my own." Molly defensively put her hands to block herself.
"Absurd!" It took him little effort to push her hands out of the way and throw her small frame over his shoulder. "You took a rough fall. You look like you can barely stand."
"Would you so kindly put me down?"
"Nah."
"I've asked nicely."
"Being nice doesn't always work."
"I could very well hit you."
"You don't scare me, Greene."
This didn't come to a surprise to Molly. Her threatening was really no threat to anyone. Not with her noodle arms. And being slung over someone's shoulder really did give some idea as to his or her physique. And by the looks of it, he probably wouldn't feel a thing if she hit him. She sighed in defeat just like her three other friends. The common room wasn't far off anyways.
The rest of the walk was silent. Three cheerful boys lead three miserable girls to the Gryffindor common with Remus Lupin tailing behind and Marlene looking as if she were someone important getting escorted to a very important ball.
"Thank you for the lovely company. Any time you need me to accompany you to anywhere, feel free to ask." Sirius told the two girls before quickly sneaking a kiss upon each of Lily and Alice's cheeks. Both girls made loud sounds of disgust, wiping their cheeks with their sleeves, and pushing through the portrait hole to gain distance from him.
"The pleasure was mine." Peter pulled Marlene's hand to his lips before releasing it and following Sirius, who was shouting at Lily and Alice still, into the common room.
James had dropped Molly to her feet, patted her on the head, and with no words, left Molly looking confused at the portrait hole. She immediately reached for her hair to flatten what was now probably a mess of knots.
"I question my sanity sometimes." Remus had his hands shoved back into the pockets of his trousers. "There's no way someone with any amount of sanity could be friends with them."
"Have you ever considered talking to someone about your problem?" Molly asked, "A psychiatrist, perhaps?"
"They've corrupted me, Molly. I don't think there's any way I could turn back now. I'm stuck with them." He had a look of despair on his face. Both knew very well they were joking around. They were Remus's best friends and absolutely nothing would change that.
"You've got to run well you still can, Remus."
"Yeah. Because we all know running always turns out well." Remus smirked, "I'm pretty sure your feet lifted from the ground. "
Molly frowned at him. "That's not funny." It had all happened so quickly that she barely had time to react or even decipher what had happened. She has been hit from the side and ended on the ground landing on her stomach.
"You're okay, right?" He still had that stupid smirk on his face.
"No. I'm probably gonna bruise."
"Broken bones or blood?" Putting up with James, Sirius, and Peter had most likely prepared him more for the dramatics of girls rather than girls themselves.
"No. But I'm emotionally scarred. I'll never be able to walk the same without being fearful of large, arrogant boys knocking me over."
"Oh, poor you. You're never gonna be able to leave your room again."
"I'm glad you understand me, Remus."
"Are you done being completely dramatic?" Remus didn't give her any time to respond before he used his hand on her back to guide them into the common room.
Upon entering the room clad in maroon and gold, she found her own friends had made their way into the girl's sixth year dormitory already. James, Sirius, and Peter were camped out on the couch waiting for Remus.
"I'll see you around, yes?" She gave him a quick nod before the two went their separate ways. Of course he would see her around. They were in the same year, same house, and most likely in a lot of the same classes.
Molly was only half way up the stairs when she heard the voice of Sirius Black cheering on Remus. "Aye, Remmy, fitting in a quick snog before lunch time? It's about time! We're proud of you, mate." She paused.
"Why must you assume that every time I'm away from you for a brief amount of time that I'm snogging someone?" She heard shuffling and assumed Remus had joined them on the couch. "Please tell me the last time I've randomly snogged sometime. Why would I?"
"Because that's what I do?" Sirius sounded absolutely dumbfounded at this.
"Doesn't mean I have to. Life isn't just about snogging every girl."
"C'mon, Remus. I know that's not true!" Sirius said, "It's about snogging all the pretty ones. Have we taught you nothing?" Both James and Peter laughed at this.
"Why, Sirius, why?"
"I'm just sayin', Moony, you've got to try it. Why go out searchin' for a relationship when you can use them and lose them?"
"You're absurd, Sirius. Completely absurd."
"Okay, Remmy, Don't knock it 'til you try it."
"Don't call me that." Was the last thing Molly heard before closing the door of her dormitory behind her.
"Molly Wolly, took your time, didn't you?" Alice was lying on her stomach on the opposite side of her own bed.
"Remus struck up conversation" She leaped onto her own bed. The familiarity of the bed made her finally feel at home.
"Got'cha." Alice replied coolly.
"Bloody gits they are." Lily had already begun to unpack her belongings. The rest of the sixth years lay upon their beds and watched the redhead go to business. "Who do they think they are?"
"It was all good fun." Marlene said as she casually filed her nails. "No harm."
"Mar, they basically ran us over and then violated us." Lily exclaimed. Though she thought this was true pretty much any time any of them tried to even talk to her.
"Loosen up, Lils."
"Don't tell me what to do." She huffed and proceeded to unpack in silence. Everyone only laughed. Conversations usually went that way. Someone would overreact and be told to calm down. Certainly nothing had changed over the summer.
How she was glad to be back.