Ch. 1: The Last Night
The knock on the door came as quite a surprise to the four marauders. The night air drifted in through the window and billowed the curtains as Remus, being closest to the door, opened it a crack, allowing a trail of light to fall upon the floor.
"Lily?" He gasped in surprise, stepping back as James hurried to his side and Lily entered the room, closing the door quietly behind her. "What are you-you're not supposed to-"
"Shh…" She replied, adjusting the collar of her nightgown. "I don't care if I get caught. What are they going to do? Give me detention? I figured I'd come and…hang…with you guys tonight…"
"What about your roommates?" Asked Peter from his bed, leaning closer to the door.
"Want to believe they're already asleep? I took a chance you four were still up. I mean, it's only twelve-thirty."
"We live by night," Sirius said.
"At least, we do when the moon is full, right?" James said, casting a smirk toward Remus, who smiled.
"Touché."
James laughed and hugged Lily. Sirius, grinning from the edge of his bed, said: "All right, Lil, you can stay, but you're going to have to put up with some idiotic guy vibes…."
"As if I'm not used to enough of that from you alone, Sirius!"
Sirius crossed his eyes in mock confusion. "Ah! What? I don't understand you! Speak slower! Stop running, Lily, you're running too fast! Stop it, I can't catch up! Wait for me!" Peter chucked a pillow at him, causing all five of them to burst out in muffled laughs.
"You may act dumb, Sirius, but you really are bright whether you like it or not," Lily said with finality as she took a seat next to James on his bed.
"You flatter me."
"I'm serious!"
"If you're Sirius, then who the hell am I?"
"Padfoot, I won't have that language in front of my lady!" James said stiffly, putting an arm around Lily.
"It ain't your bloody house, Prongs, I'll say whatever the hell I want."
Sirius gave a huge grin and winked visibly at Lily. The room was suddenly full of stifled laughter.
"I can't believe this is the last night we will ever spend here…" Lily said, tying up James's bed curtains so she could see the entire room.
"Well, I guess I'm kind of glad to go…I mean, no more homework at least, and think of what's ahead of us! Finally we'll be treated like adults…and maybe we'll get hitched, Lily…" James's eyes glittered as he said this, and he shifted on the edge of his bed excitedly, before saying to the whole room: "You must admit…we've all been looking forward to this day…" And there was a murmur of agreement from all around except from Remus, who merely shrugged and turned his eyes down.
James noticed this. Frowning, he took his arm off of Lily's shoulder. "Except Remus…."
Remus looked up. "Oh…well…you know…" He shifted uneasily, not quite knowing what to say and not wanting to lower the spirits of the room.
"Why not?" Asked Peter with a question in his eye. But Sirius and James both gave him a look that plainly said "Drop it."
"It has been a great seven years, though, hasn't it?" Lily said. "Don't pretend you won't miss this…."
"Yeah, it sure has," Said Sirius.
Remus nodded and smiled wistfully. "I'm gonna miss it." In the semi-darkness, James thought he caught a glimpse of tears forming in Remus's eyes, but said nothing. In all the time he had known him, James had never seen Remus cry.
"We all are," Lily agreed.
Now James was sure that Remus was crying. His eyes had become red and clouded with tears, and he wiped them silently away on his sleeve, though he still smiled. The odd thing was that the smile was not at all fake. Sirius seemed to have noticed, and he looked uncomfortable.
"You okay?" James asked in an undertone.
Remus nodded. "Fine." A small, embarrassed smile came over his face as he blinked the last few tears from his eyes.
"Jesus Christ, Moony, save the waterworks for the wedding," he said with a small laugh.
The smile vanished instantly from Remus's face and instead he glared at Sirius, blushing furiously. It was a very awkward moment. Remus began to retort, but Lily spoke up.
"Honestly--Sirius, do us all a favor and shut up, and Remus, for God's sake chill out and ignore him. This is our last night here-and well…do you really want to spend all night bickering?" Lily's eyes moved back and forth between Remus and Sirius, and her face was set. James gave her a one-armed hug.
Sirius and Remus looked up at each other. "Sorry, man," Sirius said quietly.
Remus shrugged. "S'ok."
The sound of Peter's snores came from his bed and they all glanced at him-he had fallen asleep. James laughed. "Not again…"
"So…" Remus began, straightening up slightly and seeming to have found his thread. "What do we want to do for our last night?"
The knock on the door came as quite a surprise to the four marauders. The night air drifted in through the window and billowed the curtains as Remus, being closest to the door, opened it a crack, allowing a trail of light to fall upon the floor.
"Lily?" He gasped in surprise, stepping back as James hurried to his side and Lily entered the room, closing the door quietly behind her. "What are you-you're not supposed to-"
"Shh…" She replied, adjusting the collar of her nightgown. "I don't care if I get caught. What are they going to do? Give me detention? I figured I'd come and…hang…with you guys tonight…"
"What about your roommates?" Asked Peter from his bed, leaning closer to the door.
"Want to believe they're already asleep? I took a chance you four were still up. I mean, it's only twelve-thirty."
"We live by night," Sirius said.
"At least, we do when the moon is full, right?" James said, casting a smirk toward Remus, who smiled.
"Touché."
James laughed and hugged Lily. Sirius, grinning from the edge of his bed, said: "All right, Lil, you can stay, but you're going to have to put up with some idiotic guy vibes…."
"As if I'm not used to enough of that from you alone, Sirius!"
Sirius crossed his eyes in mock confusion. "Ah! What? I don't understand you! Speak slower! Stop running, Lily, you're running too fast! Stop it, I can't catch up! Wait for me!" Peter chucked a pillow at him, causing all five of them to burst out in muffled laughs.
"You may act dumb, Sirius, but you really are bright whether you like it or not," Lily said with finality as she took a seat next to James on his bed.
"You flatter me."
"I'm serious!"
"If you're Sirius, then who the hell am I?"
"Padfoot, I won't have that language in front of my lady!" James said stiffly, putting an arm around Lily.
"It ain't your bloody house, Prongs, I'll say whatever the hell I want."
Sirius gave a huge grin and winked visibly at Lily. The room was suddenly full of stifled laughter.
"I can't believe this is the last night we will ever spend here…" Lily said, tying up James's bed curtains so she could see the entire room.
"Well, I guess I'm kind of glad to go…I mean, no more homework at least, and think of what's ahead of us! Finally we'll be treated like adults…and maybe we'll get hitched, Lily…" James's eyes glittered as he said this, and he shifted on the edge of his bed excitedly, before saying to the whole room: "You must admit…we've all been looking forward to this day…" And there was a murmur of agreement from all around except from Remus, who merely shrugged and turned his eyes down.
James noticed this. Frowning, he took his arm off of Lily's shoulder. "Except Remus…."
Remus looked up. "Oh…well…you know…" He shifted uneasily, not quite knowing what to say and not wanting to lower the spirits of the room.
"Why not?" Asked Peter with a question in his eye. But Sirius and James both gave him a look that plainly said "Drop it."
"It has been a great seven years, though, hasn't it?" Lily said. "Don't pretend you won't miss this…."
"Yeah, it sure has," Said Sirius.
Remus nodded and smiled wistfully. "I'm gonna miss it." In the semi-darkness, James thought he caught a glimpse of tears forming in Remus's eyes, but said nothing. In all the time he had known him, James had never seen Remus cry.
"We all are," Lily agreed.
Now James was sure that Remus was crying. His eyes had become red and clouded with tears, and he wiped them silently away on his sleeve, though he still smiled. The odd thing was that the smile was not at all fake. Sirius seemed to have noticed, and he looked uncomfortable.
"You okay?" James asked in an undertone.
Remus nodded. "Fine." A small, embarrassed smile came over his face as he blinked the last few tears from his eyes.
"Jesus Christ, Moony, save the waterworks for the wedding," he said with a small laugh.
The smile vanished instantly from Remus's face and instead he glared at Sirius, blushing furiously. It was a very awkward moment. Remus began to retort, but Lily spoke up.
"Honestly--Sirius, do us all a favor and shut up, and Remus, for God's sake chill out and ignore him. This is our last night here-and well…do you really want to spend all night bickering?" Lily's eyes moved back and forth between Remus and Sirius, and her face was set. James gave her a one-armed hug.
Sirius and Remus looked up at each other. "Sorry, man," Sirius said quietly.
Remus shrugged. "S'ok."
The sound of Peter's snores came from his bed and they all glanced at him-he had fallen asleep. James laughed. "Not again…"
"So…" Remus began, straightening up slightly and seeming to have found his thread. "What do we want to do for our last night?"