As the sun set silently in the west the five teenagers flopped to the ground. There was silence as they shucked off packs and removed shoes, wincing at aching feet and examining blisters. Remus pulled out a flask of water and drank before passing it round the group and pulling his knees to his chest. Severus was careful to sit slightly apart from the others, he might find them useful on this pathetic excuse for a hike but he could not forget it was their cruelty and foolishness which had led to the situation in the first place. He scowled more heavily, hair hanging forward to cover his face. Just when he'd thought his life couldn't get worse.
Still in silence James rummaged through his pack and pulled out the parcels of hastily wrapped food. There wasn't much. Everyone get a piece of bread and cheese and a slab of chocolate. They ate in silence and handed round the blankets in silence.
"Someone should keep watch." Sirius remarked dully. There was a murmur of agreement. Sirius sighed. "Well don't all volunteer at once." He wrapped his blanket round his legs and shuffled backwards until he was sitting upright. The others curled up on the ground or against trees. No one spoke but no one slept either. At last James groaned in frustration and sat up.
"This is stupid. Wasn't there any more food? I'm starving."
Peter shook his head.
"We couldn't take too much or ask the House elfs. Sirius said Dumbledore might ask them about it."
"That's an awful reason!" Severus cut in, annoyed. "Surely you could think up some excuse."
"Hey, I was a little rushed at the time!" Sirius spat.
"Right." Snape sneered, "Remind me why again? Oh yes, because you decided to try and get me KILLED!"
"I wasn't-"
At this Remus exploded. A scene so unexpected the remaining Marauders and Snape collapsed into dumbfounded silence.
"THEN WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU TRYING TO DO SIRIUS! Were you trying to get ME killed? Or did it simply NEVER CROSS YOUR MIND that there might be bloody CONSEQUENCES to sending someone to meet a WEREWOLF! It is NOT A GAME Sirius! PEOPLE DIE because of werewolves! They get hurt and they DIE! Can you understand that? Are you that BLOODY SELFISH you didn't think about ANYTHING!"
Remus paused for breath. He had leapt to his feet mid rant and started pacing around the tiny clearing, running frenzied hands through his hair.
"Why did you do it Sirius? Do you honestly care that little for me, for our friendship that you'd USE me like that? I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS! I thought you were DIFFERENT! Like you CARED about me! But no, all you care about is your own twisted skin and your own pathetic ego-"
"No Remus, I-"
" SHUT UP SIRIUS! You can't make this better with a few WORDS! For heaven's sake SNAPE has never treated me like this! I can't BELIEVE you USED me as a WEAPON!" Remus kicked a stone hard into the forest. "YOU TRIED TO KILL SNAPE AND ME! You KNEW I'd get EXECUTED if I hurt anyone and YOU SENT SNAPE DOWN THE TUNNEL!"
"Remus wait-" James interjected.
"NO I AM NOT WAITING! This needs to be SAID!"
"Then say it Remus! Just stop shouting! We're in the Forbidden Forest, I don't think we want to broadcast our position."
Realising James had a point Remus clamped his jaw shut and stalked to the other side of the clearing.
"Just...shut up Sirius. I can't take this right now." He sighed and sat back down on the muddy floor. "Just leave me the hell alone."
Severus exchanged an incredulous glance with Potter before abruptly realising what he'd done and glaring instead. Peter sat white faced and shaking, he'd inched ever closer to James during the tirade until he was practically sitting on him. Sirius sat stunned and silent. He swallowed but didn't attempt to speak, instead turning away from his school mates and tugging the ratty blanket over his shoulders.
As the last of the light dimmed the forest seemed to come alive, strange rustling and snuffling echoing in the undergrowth. The waning moon lit the woods with reasonable clarity and highlighted the warped branches and ragged leaves. It was an eerie place, with a sense of malevolent watchfulness and the five youths were trespassers in its domain. Uncounted eyes observed them from the surrounding trees and even more from the thick and tangled undergrowth. It was certainly not the easiest place to sleep in.
One by one however, the children dropped off. After four hours Sirius woke Snape for his turn at watch and the Slytherin paced restlessly around the clearing, hating the silence and the threat lurking in the woodlands. He finally sat back, closer to the others than before, although he would have denied in front of the Wizenmagot any possibility he was seeking comfort by proximity.
As it was he was close enough to hear the one miserable sob Black released before he clenched his eyes shut and forced his shaking shoulders to quiet.
The next morning dawned cold and bright. The damp mist swirled between the tree trunks, chilling the teenagers until one by one they rolled upright, rubbing eyes and cursing the invention of dawn and daylight. Remus shoved his head under the blanket and attempted denial of the past two days, Sirius yawned mightily and scrubbed his face with his hands. James hurried deeper into the woods to answer the call of nature. Peter gloomily examined the state of his robes and shoes and Severus checked the remaining food supplies (barely anything) and the potions (nowhere near as good as he could have brewed himself). He wondered what was happening at the school. Dumbledore had to be up in arms by now, five students missing, four of them his favourite Griffindors. Had the ministry been informed yet? Or their parents? Not that his would care Severus supposed. They'd be only too happy if he remained lost in the forest.
"We need to find water." Remus announced. "The flasks nearly empty. Is there a pool or stream anywhere?"
Sirius opened his mouth to reply but shut it again quickly. No one there gave any indication they'd noticed. James rubbed his nose in thought.
"I think…that way."
One advantage of camping in this foolish way James thought, was that getting going took barely any time at all. They pulled on boots, picked up packs and started walking. James ran his tongue across the built up plaque covering his teeth. He really really missed Hogwarts at times; even if it had only been two days.
They walked onwards in silence. As the awkwardness rose between them James tried desperately to think of a joke or something to just get them talking again. But Remus was too hurt, Sirius still sulking and Snape was Snivellous. No help there.
Several hours of trudging later, led by James, the five came across a deep pool nestled in a mossy bank. They bent over the water gratefully, it had been heating up over the day and they were all parched.
"Are we sure this is safe to drink?" Remus asked belatedly as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Shouldn't we have boiled it or something first?"
"How, Lupin? Wishing?"
"There might be a way if we'd just think about it!"
"Hey you guys!" Peter was leaning so far over the pool he was in danger of falling in. "FISH!"
There was a sudden quiet the Sirius practically lunged for the water.
"Fooooood!" James hauled the excited sixteen year old away by the scruff of his cloak but didn't answer otherwise. He crouched down.
"We need a net or a pole or something. Has anyone fished before?"
Remus nodded and set about trying to fashion a fishing net from threads pulled from cloaks. His fingers were deft but it was a complicated business and the finished result sagged and gaped miserably. But it would suffice. He and Peter spread the net between them and attempted to scoop the basking fish out the water. Clearly no one fished here as the fish practically leapt into the net and they soon had six flopping around on the bank. They were slimy and quite small but they were fish and therefore food. The mood rose.
Meanwhile James and Sirius were trying to start a fire with no magic. James was rubbing sticks together with a dubious expression while Sirius slammed stones against each other in the hopes of sparks. Severus watched this poor attempt for as long as he could stand, about twenty seconds, before he rolled his eyes and commented silkily.
"If you two children have quite finished playing then perhaps we could actually get a fire going?"
"That's what we're trying to do Snivellous, don't see you helping!" Sirius growled.
"No. You are wasting time."
"Do you have a better idea?" James snapped. Hunger was making him irritable and Snape's condescending manner was not helping.
"As a matter of fact I do. Black, go and get some dry sticks and some moss or dry leaves if you can find them. Make sure its dry!" Sirius exchanged a glance with James then heaved himself upright and padded off, returning with the requested items.
"Potter, give me your glasses." James blinked.
"Are you nuts? I need those! I'm not letting you booby trap them!"
"Don't be ridiculous. We need a fire. I will return them unharmed in a few moments."
"How in Merlin's name are you going to start a fire with a pair of glasses?"
Snape scowled. "Magic."
"We can't use ma-"
"I was joking dung for brains. Now give them here!"
James blinked then thrust his glasses roughly at the other boy.
"Fine. Work your 'magic'."
"Thank you." Severus sneered, accepting the spectacles. He crouched down next to the small pile of kindling Sirius had collected and carefully held the glasses above it. James and Sirius watched in incomprehension as he angled them through the sunlight. He paused, very still, and a wisp of smoke began curling upwards. James leant forward and gently blew on the kindling, fighting back excitement as small flames licked upwards. When the smaller sticks caught too Severus handed the glasses back to James with a smirk of satisfaction.
"That was brilliant!" Peter spoke up, having seen the last of the action. Severus smirked but refrained from making any comment. He'd managed to show up the Marauders.
The five quickly gutted and cleaned the fish, Potions was good for eradicating squeamishness at least. They spitted and cooked them speedily, aware that a fire was as good as a calling card to whoever was looking for them. Remus wrapped the cooked flesh in the remains of a blankets while James refilled the water flask and they set off again.
But somehow the silence was not as awkward as before.