Vocations

The Year of the Marauders

by IHaveASiriusObsession

Disclaimer: Harry Potter = JKR

A/N: Wow. I think I'm having a bit too much fun with this... : D Sorry about the length, I didn't originally intend it to be so long. Also, I'm apologising beforehand for my prejudice against Wormtail, but, really, can you blame me? Enjoy : )


"Hey, Prongs! I see Evans didn't tare you an extra arse hole. If she did, though, I'd prefer if you'd keep it to yourself." Sirius commented as James entered the compartment.

Sirius Black had dark hair that nearly reached his shoulders with grey eyes that would put any girl in a coma had he looked at them the right way. He was around six foot, and known as a Hogwarts sex god. He took advantage of his title, you never saw him with the same girl in a row. Not that any of the girls minded, it was just the way things worked.

"You wouldn't have been a load of help if she had," James pointed out as he stuffed his trunk under the seat nearest the window, across from Sirius, and put his owl on the floor.

"So it didn't go well?" Remus asked, closing the book he was reading.

A book in hand and Remus Lupin was happy. Although pushed to the side by James and Sirius, Remus was very good looking, and unlike Sirius, reliable and dependable. He had light-brown hair, deep blue eyes, and was just a hair shorter than Sirius.

James shrugged. "It went all right... She cornered me after the Prefects left, though."

"Honestly, I'm surprised to see you're still alive." Sirius admitted. "She can be terrifying when you irritate her."

Remus raised an eyebrow at Sirius. "Why do you try to then?"

Sirius shrugged. "It passes the time. What did Evans say when she cornered you?"

"She wanted to know what had kept me- oh and get this, she thought we had planned to ride your bike to Hogwarts, to make an entrance I suppose...."

Sirius was thoughtful. "You know, that's not a bad idea. Considering who it was coming from."

"I expect she told you not to tell Padfoot?" Remus asked James.

James grinned. "Naturally,"

"Can you imagine what a chick magnet I would have been! Damn it, why didn't I think of that?" Sirius complained.

Remus laughed. "I'm sure you'll turn on plenty of girls on without the bike. Like you'd need it."

"Yeah, mate, just wear the leather jacket." James supplied.

"I'd look gay walking around school with a leather jacket over my robes! Besides, It wouldn't look right without the pants..."

"I wouldn't if I were you," Remus advised. "I think you might just give Dumbledore himself a heart attack if he saw you in those."

"I think I look pretty sexy in them, Prongs?"

"Very," James consented. "Although I'm rather concerned that you're checking yourself out in leather pants...."

"So by the by, the meeting went all right?" Remus asked again.

"Yeah, I've just said so, haven't I?"

"I was just wondering... Did it seem like Lily had lightened up towards you any since last term?"

James thought for a moment. "She seemed... casual enough."

The truth was, Lily had lightened up quite a bit toward James in the past year. Once he had started becoming more responsible and stopped asking her out on a regular basis, she had even voluntarily sat with them during meals and in the common room. James had also matured a lot over the summer, he was all around less arrogant. Remus could see this, even if James couldn't, and knew there might just be hope for them yet.

Remus opened his book and returned to reading, though his eyes weren't moving across the page.

James looked around the compartment, finally noticing someone who was not there to be noted. "Where's Wormtail?"

"He went to track down the trolley... Here he is now." Sirius supplied.

Peter Pettigrew entered the compartment looking strangely out of place. He was short, round, and stubby, while the three other boys were tall, muscular, and thin. He felt very out of place too, for as he entered, he sat down closer to the door than to James, and unwrapped his pumpkin pasty quietly, putting the rest of the sweets on the seat beside him.

"Thanks, Wormy," James said as he dove in to the candy, deciding upon a chocolate frog. He unwrapped the frog and analyzed his card. "Artemisia Lufkin-?"

"The first witch to become Minister for Magic, 1754-1825." Remus supplied.

Sirius, James, and Wormtail stared at him. Wormtail's mouth was half open.

"Do you know everything?" Sirius asked.

"We have N.E.W.T.'s this year, and I'm taking History of Magic. Artemisia Lufkin revolutionized the predjudice that women were not equal to men-"

"Save it, Moony." Sirius advised. Then he looked down at his own chocolate frog card. "I got some Quidditch chick..."

"Speaking of, does anyone know who the Quidditch Captain is?" James asked.

"Mmmpphhfff," Sirius said through a mouthful of chocolate frog. "Yeah," he said clearer once he had swallowed, "it's Alana Creet, but Moony could have told you that."

Sirius, James, and Peter all stared at Remus again, who was still reading, though his eyes were not moving.

"Really?" James asked.

"Yeah, just after I got here, she came by and told Moony that she had gotten Captain and said they'd 'catch up' later before kissing him on the cheek."

Remus shut his book. "Doesn't 'friends' mean anything to the two of you?"

"Moony, are you still beating yourself up over MacDonald?" Sirius asked. "Because, honestly, she wasn't worth it."

Remus paused. "I'm not going to screw around with any more of Lily's friends."

Sirius shook his head in disbelief. "One bad relationship and you're done for good? This is why you have us around, you know."

"Yeah, mate. She's obviously obsessed with you." James agreed.

"And I don't know about you, but if I had something that hot obsessed with me, I'd go for it." Sirius consented.

"You do," James corrected.

Sirius grinned. "The hell I do! Why not?"

"Well," Remus began, "you know what broke Mary and I up. It'll be the same thing all over again. She will want to take our relationship to the next level, and I'll-"

"Have sex, you mean?" Sirius interrupted.

"Obviously, why wouldn't she? Mary did..."

"I don't think Creet's the same way. She's only had a handful of boyfriends, and she's a bit nicer than MacDonald-"

"By a bit nicer do you mean she's never called you a wanker?"

"Well, yeah."

Remus nearly laughed. "You can't judge people on whether or not they've thrown a punch at you, Padfoot. Frankly, if I were a girl I'd think you were a right git."

"Thank Merlin I don't have to endure a female Moony running around, then." Sirius grinned.

"'Moving past Remus Lupin's womanly fantasies, when are Quidditch try-outs?" James asked.

Remus rolled his eyes and went back to his book.

"I've no idea, she didn't say." Sirius answered.

"Right..." James said.

"Holy, Wormtail! Did you eat all of those?" Sirius bellowed, flabbergasted.

Wormtail was almost buried beneath candy wrappers. He turned bright red and his head appeared to shrink back into his body, quite resembling a turtle.

"Damn, and I wanted some every flavored beans. I heard they added a new flavor, i think it was moldy cheese or something."

"That's disgusting Padfoot." Remus said.

"It wasn't me who ate a cat food flavored one and said it tasted like chicken." Sirius smirked.

"There is chicken flavored cat food, you know." Remus retorted. "And at least I don't eat dog food."

Sirius shrugged. "I turn into one once a month, why shouldn't I try it? It actually didn't taste that bad."

"I turn into a werewolf once a month and you don't see me walking around in the forest looking for some poor defenceless animal to mutilate." Remus pointed out.

"True, although eating canned food is less brutal than slaughtering an animal, so you can see the debate there." Sirius said. "What time is it?"

James checked his watch. "Almost half-past twelve."

"I'm starving, where's the trolley?" Sirius complained.

"It was around here last I saw it," Wormtail spoke for the first time.

Sirius groaned.

Remus put down his book, finally giving up on reading. "I have some chocolate in my trunk, it's in the front pocket."

"Ah, Moony. Have I ever told you I love you?" Sirius said as he reached for the chocolate.

Remus grinned in spite of himself.

"Don't eat it all, I only brought a couple of bars-"

"It's Honeydukes! When did you get this? You usually have that Hershel stuff." Sirius said, examining the chocolate.

"Hershey, Padfoot. My dad was there last weekend and picked up a few bars. Only a few mind you."

Sirius was already divulging his second bar. "What did you say?"

"Never mind."

"You know," Sirius said a bit later, finishing his fourth bar. "This is going to be a really great year."

"Yeah... Can you believe it's our last?" James asked.

Remus and Sirius shook their heads.

"Why is it going to be great?" Wormtail asked stupidly.

"Wormy, Wormy, Wormy. It's our seventh year, James is Head Boy so we get to get away with everything. We have the map- I think Dumbledore might as well just hand over the school."

"I agree," James said. "This is going to be the year of the Marauders!"

And so it was. For a moment, they all forgot about Voldemort's rise to power, Death Eaters, and murders. It was their year.


A/N: Thank you to penguinsrule8000 and shroomy-eyes for reviewing!