It was the start of our fifth year.
Sirius, eternally handsome. James, endearingly arrogant. And Peter, well, it was hard to describe him simply and kindly at the same time, though the often used insult of him being James's sidekick was fairly accurate.
Me? Just a measly werewolf, nothing worth describing.
Though I wore a mask of indifference, I was incredibly happy to see my friends again. The summers were too hot, too dull, and too long, in my opinion.
In a week my opinion would change, no doubt, and I would again long for next summer. This was a curse bound to anyone who has been at school, I imagine. Even I, a proud bibliophile, would soon tire of the endless steam of assignments.
As Sirius was charming the Potter family en masse, I decided to go say hello to Peter first. His mother glared at me rudely and I smiled politely in return. A few minutes of small talk had gone by before Peter dragged me off, embarrassed as one was wont to be after such an ordeal as a friend talking to a family member, to see the other two members of our pack.
Pack. I hated the word, and yet it seemed to fit. Though aloud I referred to our group as The Marauders, as was customary, I couldn't do the same in my head.
Sirius greeted us with a bear hug and an award-winning smile, though his eyes seemed sad. My suspicion was confirmed when I noticed the length of his hair; he had the subconscious habit of wearing it longer when he was miserable.
I don't know why I was always surprised when Sirius came back from the summers depressed. He had to live with his unpleasant family, playing the good pureblood boy, and in that old Grimmauld mansion as well. It was rumor they had a fantastic library, but even I wouldn't want to live there.
James, on the other hand, loved the summer. He viewed just about everything an adventure, a challenge, and a month deprived from his mischief-making comrades was no different. His parents didn't mind much, so long as Aurors didn't end up dragging him home, they would joke.
The four of us made our way onto the train as one unit, seeking out our usual compartment and settling down just before the train sped off at top speed.
It was a comfortable ride and we fell back into pattern easily. James told exaggerated tales of his exploits of the summer past, speaking clearly and with the ease only a good storyteller has, embellishing them with overlarge hand movements and sly smirks. Peter complained of how bored he was the whole time, and wished aloud that he had been there. Aside from the occasional sarcastic remark, I stayed fairly quiet.
We all danced skillfully around the topic of Sirius's summer, a talent we had carefully and silently crafted. Peter or James slipped up once or twice each, but Sirius appreciated the fact that they tried and only glared at them for a moment before joining back into the jolly conversation.
Hogwarts came into view after what seemed like only five minutes, and we all hurried to get our robes on.
As was tradition, we started to plot the first prank against Snape in the horseless carriages that took us the rest of the way, but something that had been nagging me at the edge of my mind refused to stay docile any longer.
I coughed awkwardly and was awarded with the undivided attention of the pack, "I thought I ought to tell you, that…well…" I blushed slightly at my inability to find the proper words.
Sirius raised a single eyebrow of his aristocratic face with casual elegance. James stared at me with a confused face, and Peter with a blank one.
I took a deep breath and announced, slightly guilty and slightly proud, "They've made me a prefect."
I did not get the response I expected.