Summary: Peter watches people fawn over James and Sirius, and confesses to Remus that he wishes he could be like them instead of ordinary. Ironically, all Remus wants to be is normal. Happy friendship and banter between the Marauders!

Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling created Hogwarts and the Marauders; I'm simply writing about them because I have an obsession.

Rating: Teen

Genres: friendship, comedy

Happy With What You Have

"And then I told him…" The crowd held its breath as they waited for James to deliver the punch line of his story. "Of course the Gryffindor Keeper isn't pregnant; she always keeps balls out of all three of her holes."

Laughter filled the common room. A few students fell out of chairs as they clutched stitches in their sides.

Annette Thyme, the Keeper in question, threw James a smirk from the couch she was sprawled on. "Thanks for vouching for my virtue."

James curled the fingers of his right hand together so that they made a glass-shape and raised the figure towards her as if making a toast. "A good captain always supports his teammates."

"And James is the best Quidditch captain we've ever had," someone piped up. Choruses of agreement followed this statement, and James sat in the middle of it all drinking in their praises with an infectious grin on his face.

"Did you also tell my ex-boyfriend," Annette had to raise her teasing voice slightly to be heard over the masses, "that during practices you're usually the one Chasing me the hardest in an effort to get a ball through my openings?"

"Well, what can we say?" The large group fell silent at the sound of the new voice. After all, Sirius Black was speaking. The dark-haired boy finished making his way through the portrait hole, and - without a command being given from anyone - the throng parted slightly to clear a path for Sirius to where James was seated in the centre since everyone knew that the two would want to be together. Everyone else wanted them to be together also since it would provide better entertainment for them.

Sirius continued to talk as he meandered down the path, like he were accustomed to hordes parting for him…which he was. "You can't blame him for Chasing you, Annette. James can't resist a girl that has skill with handling a broomstick."

More laughter followed this declaration, and Annette's was the loudest.

"You know me so well." James grinned at Sirius and moved over to make room for him, completely willing to share the spotlight with his best friend. It was unlikely that James would have done that for anyone else, though he would not have had the opportunity to do so anyway since the crowd closed behind Sirius, framing the duo with physical bodies as well as admiration.

At a table in the corner of the common room, Peter watched James and Sirius receive worship with a mixture of awe and envy. The pair had an air about them that caused everyone to hang onto every word that they said. "I wish I had that."

"Why?" Remus asked without glancing up from the thick tome in his hands. The werewolf was situated across the table from Peter so that he could help the blond boy with his Defense Against the Dark Arts essay that was due the next day. Remus was top of their year at Defense, and he always offered Peter assistance with assignments on the subject. That thoughtfulness was why Peter felt comfortable sharing his yearning for recognition with him.

"Everyone thinks they're cool." Peter did not add that he concurred with the general consensus, for he knew that Remus was already aware of this.

"Not everyone," responded Remus as he scrawled a note on the parchment in front of him. "Some people find them to be in bad taste."

"Yeah, but nobody important thinks that," mumbled the rat animagus. 'Just Slytherins…and Evans,' he mentally added. Peter could not comprehend why James was so fascinated with the redhead. She was undeniably pretty, but there were many pretty girls that were interested in James, such as Annette Thyme. Why did he waste time pining after Lily Evans?

Finally, Remus looked up, and he had a mildly joking smile on his tired face. "I knew that I was unimportant, but you didn't have to remind me."

The world seemed to spin on its axis. Remus never insulted his friends unless it was to their faces, and even then he did not ever utter anything overly cruel. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I think they're distasteful." He gave a minute shrug. "I appreciate their usefulness, but I believe that they're immoral and much too flashy."

"Well, yeah, but…" Peter was uncertain as to how he ought to handle this new development. For the time being, he presumed it would be safest to make a quip out of it. He was not as adept at that as James and Sirius were, however, he put forth an effort. "You're a Prefect, so you're supposed to think that."

Remus chuckled and Peter was about to breathe an internal sigh of relief until the brown-haired lycanthrope stated, "If that were true, then Janice Parkinson wouldn't have one."

Parkinson was one of the Slytherin Prefects, and she had one? "She 'has' one, like, sexually?" Peter's voice squeaked, but he was unable to prevent it because the idea of one of his fellow Marauders penetrating such a disgusting harpy horrified him to his core.

Grimacing slightly, Remus answered, "I hope not. That would be…strange."

Strange was an understatement. Nonetheless, the good news had Peter releasing an alleviated sigh that was actually audible. "Then why are you talking about her 'having' one?"

Patiently, Remus explained, "Because she does even though she's a Prefect. She got one this past Christmas and was bragging about it in the Great Hall." Peter's terror was returning. "If I remember correctly, she mentioned that the scales were green."

"Wait, WHAT?"

"There's no need for shouting. I'm not deaf, or I wasn't before now," Remus muttered, taken aback by the appalled yell. "The dragon-hide cloak that Parkinson's parents gave to her came from a dragon with dark green scales to represent her House. It was probably made from a Romanian Longhorn, which is terrible considering how endangered those creatures are because poachers hunt them in order to sell their magical horns to apothecaries."

Peter's dread was replaced with bewilderment. "What do dragons have to do with anything?"

"We're writing an essay on what counter-curses to use against an opponent that's wearing a dragon-hide cloak since a dragon's skin is impervious to most spells." Remus' brows furrowed perplexedly. "Haven't we been discussing how you wish you had one and why I don't approve of them?"

'Of course Remus' mind was on homework the entire time,' Peter thought. He would have been irritated if he weren't so glad Remus' comments were beginning to make more sense. "Never mind. Did you find the answer to the third part of the question?"

Remus nodded and pushed over the scroll of notes he'd taken. "All of the facts are there. You just need to decide on which order to present them in and start writing out the paragraphs."

"Thanks, Moony," said Peter sincerely.

Before the blond could begin working, Remus astutely inquired, "You were talking about wanting something else that everyone finds cool. What was it?"

Peter wasn't positive that he wanted to talk about it anymore, but Remus was regarding him with his gentle blue eyes full of curiosity and concern, so he relented. "Whatever James and Sirius have that makes them so popular."

"Ah." Remus briefly turned his attention to their other friends, where he noted that James was regaling his audience with another epic tale, and Sirius – though he was offering plenty of boisterous input to the story – had a fidget about him that indicated he would become bored soon. "I don't think it's one specific attribute," Remus told Peter as he refocused on the Marauder before him. "It's a combination of traits."

The rodent did not disagree. "Don't you ever wish that you had whatever that combination was so the mob would follow you for a change?"

"Having strangers stare at me and expect me to amuse them is my idea of a nightmare. I'd rather be accepted as part of the mob." Remus' chortle was short-lived as he got that serious expression on his face that made him look much older than any other teenager in Hogwarts. Usually, Peter judged that he and Remus worked well together as the dull opposites of James' and Sirius' brightness, but when Remus displayed wisdom beyond his years, Peter sensed that he paled in comparison. "You don't like that you're ordinary, as in, not the greatest athlete or top student?"

"Not the best looking or funniest either." It was a little embarrassing to admit, but Peter knew Remus, unlike James or Sirius, would not make fun of him for it.

"So you don't want to be normal, and normal is all I've ever wanted to be. James fancies the only girl that won't fall for him, and Sirius would rather his family love him for who he is than have the adoration of tons of strangers." Remus shook his head and the gesture was seemingly directed at all of humanity. "Everyone wants what they can't have."

Peter supposed that Remus made a fair point, though in his opinion James and Sirius were much better off.

"However, it's important for people to be grateful for what they do have. For example," Remus continued with a smile, "we have each other."

Snorting in reluctant amusement, Peter remarked, "No offense, Remus, but that sounds like something in a cheesy card sent to me by my mum."

Remus chuckled in spite of himself. "I guess it does, but it's true. The Marauders don't care that you're average, or that I'm abnormal, or that James is an attention-addict, or that-" The Prefect cut himself off as he saw Sirius start to head towards them. He waited until the dog animagus was within earshot and finished mischievously, "Sirius is a loud, obnoxious, insensitive git."

"Oy, what did I do?" he demanded upon reaching them.

"You want a specific example of something you've done to be a loud, obnoxious, insensitive git?" Remus questioned dryly.

"Only if I get to respond with examples of how your issues resemble a girl's menstruation cycle," retorted Sirius, throwing himself casually into the nearest chair in an inexplicably graceful yet careless movement. He glanced at the table and his feigned horror at what he observed eliminated the opportunity for Remus to deliver a comeback. "Homework?! How could you possibly do homework on tonight of all nights?"

Alarm that he may disappoint his cohorts by forgetting a significant date surged within Peter. "What's tonight?"

"Tonight is the night we have an adventure that will become so legendary it'll be written of in the stars. The constellation which forms due to our hilarious and heroic actions this evening will be even more beloved than the star sharing my name. Its legacy forever-"

Relief replaced Peter's distress as he ignored the rest of Sirius' dramatic rambling. "So it's just another Monday, then?" he asked Remus, who nodded with a patiently amused smile.

Sirius glared at his companions. "I wasn't done with my soliloquy."

"Well, we were done listening," countered Remus matter-of-factly, "though I'm impressed you know the word 'soliloquy.'"

"I pay attention when you talk." Sirius sniffed in mock offense.

Remus chuckled and conceded, "Touché."

Sirius beamed smugly and leaned back in his chair. It defied the law of gravity and did not crash to the floor in an undignified way, as Peter knew from unfortunate experience would occur if he tried reclining in his seat; the rules of the universe tended to occasionally bend to cater to the whims of Sirius Black, and they favoured the fancy of James Potter on an almost daily basis.

As if James heard his compatriot thinking about him, he joined the Marauders with a jovial criticism: "Why are you lads sitting around when there's mischief to be made and pranks to be played?"

Peter noticed that James' words rhymed and strove to think of a witty of addition, but he was never as quick as the others, and Sirius beat him to it. "And ladies to be laid?"

James laughed, but shook his head. "Perhaps another night. You see, I-" he leaned in conspiratorially and the others instinctively followed suit "-got the last ingredient we need for that potion." He surreptitiously pulled a root out of his pocket to show the others before stowing it again. The stag's secretive behaviour suddenly charged the air with excitement; all four of them could feel it, and Peter knew the rest of students in the common room could sense it too because many them peeked over interestedly. Peter felt special he was a part of the mischief and the others were not, as James had clearly dismissed his fans in order to be alone with his friends for the time being.

"Pimp yourself out to Slughorn for it, did you?" Sirius' jibe was delivered in a whisper, demonstrating he too had been touched by the clandestine thrill, though the canine had been hoping for an escapade, thus his reaction was hardly surprising.

"I'll leave the sex sales to you, Padfoot. I found it in the forest when I served detention yesterday," James proudly answered in an equally hushed tone. "So are we going to make use of it, or do you lot have better things to do?" His body language gave every indication that no other activity could possibly be more worthwhile.

Sirius echoed James' sentiments by remarking, "Nothing is better than being up to no good."

"Cheers to that!" agreed Peter enthusiastically, shoving his academic scribbles into his bag. He might do poorly on his assignments as a result of gallivanting rather than working, however, low grades were worth being part of the coveted Marauders' inner circle in his view.

James smiled delightedly at Peter and Sirius before turning to Remus. "And you, Moony? Going to make any protests for us to shoot down until you're finally convinced to come with us?"

Peter knew Remus' homework was complete, hence he hoped the most level-headed member of their team would accompany them to keep them from getting into too much trouble.

Remus donned a thoughtful expression. "As a Prefect, I really should come along to make sure you don't cause too much damage to the school."

Peter smiled both at Remus' assent and his excuse for granting it.

"Hogwarts commends you for doing your duty, Mister Lupin." The solemnity of James' statement was spoiled by the sparkle in his eyes.

"Unanimous agreement that fast? Well, charm my ankles to the ceiling and shag me sideways!" Sirius barked out a laugh and leapt up from his gravity-defying seat. "Off we go, then, gents!"

Remus swiftly and efficiently packed up his belongings and the four friends headed out of the portrait hole and into an adventure. All of them craved something they did not possess, but in that moment they were more than content with what they did have.