Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers.
A/N:
Hi! So I'm completely new to writing Marauder Era fanfiction and I am really excited to be doing this (like nervous excited, unfortunately not the other, better kind). So this idea has been toiling around in my head for the longest time but I was so busy with my other fics it always got pushed to the side, but I had a day off today so I thought, why not? Anyway… I hope you like it!
Chapter One
"Who in Godric's left gonad is J. Devon?"
Sirius refilled his mug with coffee and glanced up at his sandy haired best friend, whose eyes were already reclaimed by the lengthy piece of parchment in his hands.
Peter froze in the process of heaping his plate with mashed potatoes and opened his mouth eagerly to answer, considering he was the one who went through all the trouble of going and finding out who was Sirius' assigned partner for Astronomy, but he was cut off by the chink of glass on wood.
"Seriously!" Sirius glanced away from his gapping friend, his dark grey orbs landing on sparkling emerald ones and his lips sprung into a smirk at the red face three spaces down, which seemed to be attempting to blend in with her fiery hair.
She pushed the untouched plate of food away and sprang to her feet, "A new student arrives smack down in the middle, nay, the penultimate year of our academic career, and you don't even notice! It's all the school has been talking about for the past forty eight hours, but NO!" She wrenched her bag from the seat and slung it onto her shoulder, "Sirius Black is much TOO important to identify with the whispers of the commoners! HOW egotistic can one person possibly be!"
"Well good morning to you too, Evans." His eyes danced in amusement as the redhead sprinted past him, tossing him an infuriated glance on her way out of the Great Hall. "Oh and I like the new skirt, I always fancied a bit of thigh with my breakfast!"
Her exit was momentarily halted as she flattened her skirt down in a swift movement weighed with uncharacteristic insecurity, and he could see the evident regret in her features at finally deciding to push up her hemline to within a millimeter of regulation, something most of her peers had done when they picked out their first training bra.
Sirius' bark of a laugh reverberated through the Great Hall as the Gryffindor prefect sent him a very unbecoming hand gesture. "There is no better feeling than being-"
"Breakfast?" Remus straightened up in his seat, he always managed to maintain such posture on the backless bench Sirius wondered whether his friend might break if his rigid stance was nudged in the slightest. "Good morning? You do realize what time it is!"
"How flexible are you Moony? Like can you touch your toes?"
"You slept through Transfiguration!" His hazel green eyes flooded with annoyance.
"Well. No. Technically I slept through first period, which I recall was a free. And then when I got down to the common room, I ran into little Daisy Hookum, who I might add is NOT so little anymore-"
"Sirius!" Remus snapped.
"Her grandmother died Moony! Her Nan!" Sirius' grey eyes widened in apparent concern, "I couldn't just leave her there in tears, moaning and heaving all over the place. I stayed to comfort her. I stayed to be a gentleman!" He finished the sentence of with a dignified sip of his coffee as Remus let out an exasperated sigh.
"Well McGonagall was not pleased. She wants to see you. It's the first week of term Sirius-"
"Exactly! The first week! Who does anything in the first week!" Sirius glanced to Peter who nodded emphatically in agreement.
"Which school have you been attending for the past five years!" Remus shook his head and grabbed at the parchment he just laid down, "When do you know McGonagall to give us a break, especially now that we're sixth years. This here is just the reading list for first term!" He flourished the parchment at his friend's face.
"Oh don't remind me." There was a thud as James' bag hit the floor and he lowered onto the bench, reaching for the first plate he could see, his black, square frames unusually high on his nose, a sure sign that he was not in the best of moods. "Oh, what kind of savage finishes ALL the mash potatoes?!"
He shouted down the table to nobody in particular, causing a group of second years to scamper away in fear. Peter quickly heaped the remainder of his mash into his mouth before James could turn back around, pushing the empty bowl away in frustration.
"I take it you ran into Lily?" Remus stated mildly.
"No, why?" Peter flinched at the edge in James' voice.
Sirius finished up his scrambled eggs, he turned to the jet black haired boy, a bit of yellow fluff hanging from his fork, "Because she's talking like a fifteenth century muggle rights activist."
"She nay-ed?" James tone transformed from annoyance to intrigue in a heartbeat.
"And flipped me off! And mate she's shortened her skirt-"
"Yeah I saw!" His voice fluctuating to excitement and then dimmed to a serious tone, "Why were you looking Padfoot! You know I don't like it when you look!"
"Well I couldn't exactly ignore it! Did you see those calves! She looks like some kind of… fit… muggle model person. What's the one with the legs that just go on and on? The blonde one?" Sirius' hands enacted a large bosom at his own chest and Peter squealed with laughter.
"What did happen?" Remus' voice hinted with concern as all humor washed from James' face as he glared at a spot away in the distance.
When Sirius followed it he realized it wasn't such a distance away at all. A mere three tables away Severus Snape sat hunched over a thick tomb, a full plate laying forgotten before him, the recognizable colouring of mashed potatoes visible from here.
"I know you love your mashed potatoes Prongs, but I'd rather eat off the floor than from Snivellus' plate."
"I highly doubt James is peeved because he wants Snape's mash. What did he do, James?" Remus' voice held the texture that he was hopeful that it was in fact Snape who had done something, and not the other way around.
"He was born, that's what he did."
"Oh not that again!" Remus sat forward, pulling James attention away from the oily haired Slytherin.
"Not what again Remus! You saw the way he treated her last year! And now he's gone and wheedled his way back into her life!"
"I suppose if Lily wants to befriend him again, it is her choice."
"She doesn't WANT to!" James snapped, "You said she was upset yourself! She doesn't like the idea of working with him anymore than I do!"
"Working with him for what?" Peter asked quietly, uncomfortable with his friend's antagonized tones.
"This stupid Astronomy project! I've just been up to the board to check the pairing list because the first part is due tomorrow and I was hoping to… well I thought the pairings would be random and considering the class is so small, I mean it's really a one in an eleven chance that I get her BUT of course, of course she's paired up with that sniveling bastard!"
"Well just swap then." Sirius patted his best friend on the back, "If Evans is pissed with it as well, just ask her and she might want to change partners-"
"That's just it! I went and spoke to Akita, I already asked him if it's possible and he says no! He's gone and paired us up according to birth dates! Birth dates, Padfoot! I knew being an Aries would bite me in the arse one day!"
"Actually if they were going with star signs the fact that you're an Aries would be good because they're most compatible with Aquarius' you see." Peter finished off softly as James rounded on him, "Because Lily is a… an… Aquarius."
"Thanks Wormtail. I'll just go back in time and ask my mum to pop me out two months beforehand then."
"I just meant-"
"It's okay Peter." Remus muttered, "It is odd though, you would think he would do star signs considering its Astronomy. Did you ask why he went with birth dates?"
"No Moony, I didn't. I was too busy trying to fathom how I am going to spend the next year collaborating with Edward White! You know the only time I don't stare at his eyebrows means I'm staring at his mole."
"Year?" Sirius snapped, suddenly alert, "This project is a YEAR long."
"I know!" James agreed, "I thought he meant it was just due at the end of the year but he's gone and broken it up into all these parts so you have to be consistently working on it. And remember what McGonagall said when we made her let us take Astronomy as a seventh." James straightened up off the bench as Remus stood and Sirius mirrored him, Peter scrambled to his feet as they walked to the exit, "We have to maintain an E throughout the year or she'll make us drop it."
"Well that's what you get for just choosing a subject on the basis that your crush is taking it." Remus had a knowing smile on his face, "I told you two it will be hard managing seven subjects for NEWTS, it's hard for some people managing six." His eyes bunched up in confusion, "You know, I get why James wanted to do Astronomy, but why did you Sirius?"
Before Sirius could answer there was a tap on his shoulder, he glanced backwards, turning fully when he saw the long, straw colored hair of Greta Catchlove and the Ravenclaw looked anything but pleased.
"Greta!"
"We need to talk." And with those four little words she walked to the nearest cupboard, holding it open as Sirius tried to ignore James' amused grin. At least this was brightening his mood.
The broom cupboard was a popular one, it was just under the grand staircase and many a second year experienced their first kiss in these close quarters.
Greta however looked neither like a second year or in the mood for kissing, Sirius' grin sprawled across his lips but her light blue eyes held its glare, "Where were you last night?"
Not skipping a beat he responded, "Waiting for you."
She scoffed, "If you're going to lie at least make a concerted effort!" Her voice grated at his ears as it picked up momentum, "I waited for you in that classroom for an hour Sirius! An hour!"
"I spent just as much time, if not more, waiting for you in the Transfiguration Courtyard." His voice dipped low as his head followed suit, portraying his apparent disappointment.
"Why would you wait there!" Greta snapped, folding her arms in irritation.
"Well I recalled the letter saying that we should meet in our special spot-"
"Yes! The third floor classroom-" Sirius stepped forward, placing one long finger on her lips.
"I believe we have a matter of misunderstanding Miss Catchlove. When you said the special spot… I assumed you meant the place our lips touched for the first time… you remember… we skipped History of Magic… it was drizzling…" Sirius moved his finger away from her lips and stroked her pale cheek, "I didn't think you meant some random classroom we fooled around in months ago."
"I… uh…well… did you seriously wait?" Her face flushed and she stepped towards him, biting her bottom lip.
"I siriusly did." And smile. Sirius had perfected the definitely clichéd but highly effective move by his fourth year and Greta's anger instantly left her body as she leaned up on her tip toes.
"I'm sorry…I can't." Sirius took a full step back and the girl jostled slightly without him to lean on, "I barely slept last night wondering why you would do such a thing… I think we need to cool things down for a bit."
"But-"
"Please Greta… don't make this harder than it has to be." Sirius held the door for the girl and she walked out, her head hanging low in disappointment.
James, Remus and Peter averted their eyes as if they weren't watching the broom cupboard for the past five minutes as the girl rejoined her friends.
"Really! I thought there would be at least a stinging hex, she's the best in our year at those! Did you see Brown's face when he dumped her last year!" James stated in astonishment as they ascended the stairs.
Sirius smiled smugly as Remus shook his head, "Padfoot," he always said Padfoot when he was being serious, "it may be all fun and games but cheating-"
"Oh Moony, it's not cheating if we're not going out. She had her fun, I had my fun! Plus, I wasn't even with some other girl last night, I was with you guys! I really did forget, but thank Godric for it; I've been looking for a way to cut that chain loose for a while."
"Sirius!" Remus' voice was drowned out by the same name being shouted by a very different voice.
Where Greta's voice was high pitched and grating, Daisy Hookum's voice was the complete opposite. She hurried toward the group of boys, her long brown hair jostling about her shoulders as she stopped in front of them.
"Hey Daisy. I heard about… your Nan. I'm really sorry and if there's anything we can do to help." Remus left the sentence without an end, knowing that Daisy would understand the unspoken offer to be of assistance if needs be.
Her glossy pink lips descended into a frown, "My Nan? My Nan's been dead for five years. But… thanks any way Remus!"
She turned back to Sirius who in turn was trying to block Remus' outraged look from his periphery. "So, about tonight, I'm really excited about star gazing! I always wanted to be able to identify the big dipper and all that, but I'm no good at Astronomy! Lucky for me I'll have my own personal tutor." She giggled at the end.
"Of course darling, I'll meet you in the Common Room at nine. Dress cool, it's going to be chilly tonight."
She laughed, "You mean dress warm, Sirius."
Sirius winked as he made his way towards the staircases to the third floor, "I mean dress cool, keeping you warm would be my express privilege and honor, Miss Hookum.
She bit back a squeal as she ran back to her friends who were all in varying shades of envy and delight as the boys walked the steps to the fourth floor.
"Consoling her because she was crying!" Remus snapped, equal parts amused and annoyed.
"I never said she was crying." Sirius laughed, "I said she was moaning and panting all over the place and I did not lie." His sentence was clouded by his barking chuckle as Remus shook his head, glancing at James but their bespectacled best friend seemed to be elsewhere.
"And I suppose you got your answer on why he took up Astronomy, Moony." Peter giggled and Sirius had to try hard not to point out how much it sounded like the fifteen year old girls downstairs.
They cut through the secret passage that took them straight to sixth floor but the exit was blocked by a group of girls.
"Excuse me." James muttered politely, a sure sign that one of those heads was a fire red one.
And indeed it was, the girls parted to let the boys walk through the portrait of the Dancing Puppies.
"Oh, so sorr.." Her apology fell away as Lily saw who it was and she clutched her Runes textbook tighter to her chest.
Lily was not a self conscious girl by any means but it was hard to be anything but when somebody stared at you the way James was doing to her right now.
"Boys! We were just talking about you!" Marlene Dawson's chestnut hair framed her chin in a straight line, but she had the kind of delicate features that pulled of such a hairstyle.
"Good things I hope." James smiled at Lily as if she had spoken and all nuances of self consciousness fled as she straightened up with a smirk.
"Oh contrary Potter. I was just telling Marlene to watch out lest she get caught up in your start of term prank like last year."
"I do believe it was Dawson who suggested we sprinkle Hair-go dust in the first years shampoo, it was however our idea to curse their little bald heads with the old scarlet and gold crest. And it only lasted a few hours till it grew back."
"With the crest still there! They were little scarlet and gold haired kids with a very blurry image of a lion shimmering on the crown of their heads running around this Castle for days!"
"And they loved it Evans! Do you remember little Kingsley! He made Kenway take like fifty pictures of him to send to their parents and Melissa Ecklestein asked me to teach her the curse so she can do it for every quidditch match. Plus we gave them ice cream afterwards."
She sighed, "I do suppose it helped with uniting them, it definitely broke the ice… and the ice cream was a good idea… BUT-" She stepped towards James threateningly and Peter stepped away from the pair of them, "There will be none of that this year! I am taking over the settling in of the first years, and there will be no pranks Potter!"
"Oh come on Evans-"
"I said no pranks Black! I would trod carefully if I were you, McGonagall wasn't thrilled that you skipped Transfiguration!"
"And just to fiddle around with little Daisy Hookum no less."
The group of sixth years turned around to see who spoke and Sirius raised his brow as the seventh year approached them.
Azura Carmichael tossed her long red locks over her neck, exposing its pale length with the movement, "Standards are dropping Black."
"Not reached you, so I guess I've not hit rock bottom just yet." She laughed hollowly as she walked towards them from the direction of the Gryffindor common room.
"Oh how I count the days." She clutched at her chest dramatically, the crimson bra peeking out as her first button lay undone, "Oh James! Cassie says she'll meet you at eight. And she says not to be late."
She flicked her hair one more time and started down the stairs to the sixth floor.
"Of course I won't be late! I'm captain! I'm never late. For quidditch practice." James reiterated for Lily's benefit, as if to ensure that she knew that was the only reason he will be meeting with Cassandra Johnson tonight.
The redhead seemed unfazed but the small smile she had on her lips a few moments ago disappeared as she turned to make her way to the classroom.
James let out a frustrated breath and Sirius, whilst not physically showing it shared his annoyance. There was just something morally wrong with a girl that vain yet holding no substance to support the vanity. Sirius admitted that she was put together well but it was evident the amount of time it took to construct the look.
Plus there was the fact that she had been after James from fourth year and having an older girl after you was not as fun as people promised it would be, at least in his friend's case.
"That bloody Azura Carmichael. What kind of name is Azura anyway!" James hissed under his breath as the boys walked slowly towards classroom 6C, "I bet that's not even her real name. I bet that she changed it when she got here-"
"Oh because she's a muggleborn!" Lily snapped around, not the slightest bit embarrassed that she was eavesdropping, "That is so prejudiced of you! As if we just clutch for a way to reinvent ourselves when we get our letter, desperate to change our beliefs and ideals and personality just so we can fit in YOUR world! So we have to create an identity-"
"That's not what I meant Evans! I'm just saying Azura sounds like-"
"I don't care what you meant Potter!" She shook her head in disappointment, "My name is Lily Evans just in case you were wondering, always was and always will be. And I resent the fact that you think we lie just because we can."
With that she snapped around and headed into the classroom, Marlene following wide eyed behind her.
"I…what…I…" James gapped as Sirius patted his back,
"There there prongs. She-who-must-not-be-named must obviously be visiting this week."
"If it's any consolation, I get what you're saying James." Mary MacDonald tucked a strand of her mousy brown hair behind her ears when the boys' attention turned to her. She was so short and quiet that it was easy to miss her when she was with her taller and feisty dorm mates, "I mean… you just meant Azura's name is ludicrous." She gulped visibly, an action harder to notice on a girl, "Her eyes aren't even azure… right?" She laughed breathlessly, clutching her waist with her folded hands as her cheeks flamed red, "I mean I'm muggleborn and I wouldn't mind changing my name! Make it something more dramatic!"
"Like what?"
Her brown eyes popped when they fell on Sirius and she stepped back, "Er…like… er… something. Like… er…funny or like cool… like…er…Pixie?"
"Like those little blue ones." Muttered Peter, "Cornish Pixies. I thought you were from Scotland?"
"I…I…" She looked like she was about to faint.
"Pixie MacDonald. I like it." A tall figure swaggered forward, long black hair like a cape fluttering behind her.
"Shafiq." Sirius nodded in greeting as her bright brown eyes sparkled at him as she leaned against the door frame.
"Peter darling, walk Mary back to the common room would you. I'm positively yearning to get some runes translated."
And like only Aiza Shafiq could she twirled around and waltzed into the classroom, tugging Remus behind her by the hand, the sandy haired boy glancing at his friends desperately for their help.
James grumbled to his place just as Sirius remembered to ask Peter something and turned and ran back after him, "Wormtail!"
The boy stopped and turned about instantly, Mary MacDonald nowhere to be seen, "Do me a favour and let that J. Devon know I want to meet tonight. Make it seven in the library. And will you walk with Mary, she's a nice girl."
Peter scratched his mousy strands, "I don't know… she scares me. And she's got those dimples that are so deep they look like her cheeks are spasming or something."
"Spasming?" Sirius shook his head at his friend in amusement; the boy evidently had way too high standards and turned to finally make his way into the classroom.
"Ah Mr Black! Tell me, how does one arrive ten minutes early for class but still enter five minutes late."
Sirius grinned at Professor Farren as he made his way to the back of the class.
Farren was a curse breaker in his mid thirties and many of the girls spent most of the class staring at him, erotica writing itself in their minds at the wizard's less than professorly appearance, "I haven't the foggiest Professor. Ask me again tomorrow."
He shook his dark head in amusement, turning back to the board as Sirius folded into his chair with a similiar grin on his face as he watched Remus uncomfortably try to extricate his right hand from Shafiq who was still holding onto it, an amused gleam in her eyes.
He leaned his chair back on its hind legs as he recalled his unfinished sentence from earlier on… there really was no better feeling than being back at Hogwarts.
A/N: So? What did you guys think? Thoughts and feedback would be greatly appreciated!