Eleanor laid back in the grass, her head resting on Remus's lap. He smiled down at her, smoothing back her hair. It was late spring and they'd just finished their N.E.W.Ts. Most of them were happy to see them gone but James and Peter were still worried, mumbling answers under their breath. Sirius, who leaned against the giant elm next to Remus, looked over at Remus with a laugh.

"Hey, Moony… how about number 35?"

They all thought for a moment, trying to remember the question.

"Ah , yes." Remus chuckled. "Five characteristics of a werewolf."

"I don't know…" Eleanor smirked. "I think I did pretty good. Intelligent, adorable, cuddly, extremely handsome, and kind."

Remus laughed, counting on his fingers. "He's wearing my clothes… he's sitting in my seat… his name is Remus Lupin."

Sirius laughed, elbowing him playfully.

"I got that one easy, sure." James waved them off. "But how about those Potions? That was ridiculous."

"Oh, James! Get over it! You're the best out of all of us at Potions." Lily slapped his knee gently. "Stop worrying yourself. They're over."

"I know! But I need top marks if I want to get into the Ministry as an Auror." James ruffled his hair. "Transfiguration-"

"Was a breeze." Eleanor laughed. "McGonagall almost gave up trying to stump me."

"Yeah, well… unlike you, we weren't all born with the great knowledge of Transfiguration. It's not as easy as you're able to make it look."

"It's all in your head." She shrugged. "You were letting yourself get distracted with all of this other stuff and you didn't concentrate."

"I turned a cat into half of a human baby. It was the weirdest thing, watching it crawl around."

They all laughed, then slowly it all died down. They listened to the birds, to the breeze, to the Giant Squid slapping its tentacles lazily against the surface of the lake. Other students talked excitedly around them and the new topic of conversation, now that N.E.W.Ts were over- graduation.

"You know…" Lily broke the silence. "It's all over after this."

Ally looked around at them. "I don't know how I'm going to handle a year without you guys."

Eleanor smiled sweetly. "We'll write to you… let you know how life is out there in the big wide world."

Ally smiled sadly, touching her shoulder. Lily smiled.

"I don't know… it's exciting and terrifying at the same time. I'm getting married in two months. James's father has a house set up for us in Godric's Hollow. Everything's coming into place, I'm just… I'm going to miss it here."

Eleanor's smile faded slightly. She wished everything was as clear for her as it was for Lily. Hogwarts had become her life, pretty much. She didn't want to go back to her parent's house in London and she had no idea what she wanted to do as a career. She and Remus had no money and no idea of where to live.

"Yeah… I'm going to miss it, too." Eleanor said aloud, staring off into space. Remus smoothed back her hair again.

Everyone else stayed quiet in agreement. Peter scratched behind his ear, looking down.

"But what about number forty-seven?"

James sighed. "Way to ruin the moment, Wormtail."

"Hey, I say we go out tonight. To celebrate this… our friendship, school… moving on." Sirius shrugged.

"We can't leave the grounds." James looked over at him.

Sirius smirked. "Did I say anything about leaving? I just said we should go out."

"Oh, no." Eleanor sat up, looking over at him. "What do you have planned?"

"Well, you'll just have to find out later tonight, won't you?" Sirius stood up, dusting off his pants. "I've got some things to take care of, if you'll all excuse me."

They all watched as he walked away. Lily laughed.

"Well, this should be exciting."

Eleanor stifled a giggle as she followed Lily and Ally down the stairs to the deserted common room. The boys met them at the bottom of the stairs, James shushing them and ushering them under a cloak. Surprisingly, there was enough room for them all to fit under it. Once the fit was tight, the cloak simply stretched.

"Blast, Lily. That was my foot!" Someone complained.

"What is the purpose of this?" Eleanor laughed, quieting her voice as someone shushed her. "Some sort of… magic cloak or something?"

"You could say that." James laughed, nudging her as they passed a mirror on the common room wall.

Eleanor gasped. "An invisibility cloak! Where did you get it?"

"Keep your voice down…and don't ask foolish questions you know I won't give you the answers to."

Slowly, they made their way out of the portrait hole and down the stairs without losing anyone. When they finally made it outside and past the greenhouses, James pulled the cloak off of them. Eleanor took a deep breath of cool, night air.

"Thank god. That was stifling."

Lily looked back at the castle with a smile. "It's so beautiful at night."

They all stopped for a moment and turned back to take a look at the school, its tower windows lit with the soft glow of the torches within. It made them sad, knowing they wouldn't be returning to Hogwarts after the summer. This was it.

"Well, let's not dwell on it and kill the mood." Sirius said with a sigh, turning to head toward the forest.

Everyone else turned to follow him, all except for Lily. She eyed the forest anxiously, shaking her head.

"We're not going in there, are we?"

James came back to take her hand. "Come on… you'll be fine, I promise."

"You know, there's a reason we're not allowed in there. And it's not that we'll get lost. There are dangerous things in there."

"Lily, please don't make me stun you." He said with a smirk. "I promise you… you'll be fine. Everything's taken care of."

"Taken-"

"No questions!" James took her hand and took off at a sprint toward the forest. "Come on, everyone! Keep up!"

They all laughed and followed behind him into the dark forest. Using their wands for light, James and Sirius navigated the way to a small clearing. A small bundle of sticks was laid in the center and logs, meant for seating, were circled around it. Sirius pointed at the sticks with his wand and after whispering a spell, it burst into flames. He jumped backward with a laugh, stomping out the small fire that caught on his robes.

"Jeez, Sirius! Almost killed yourself a week before graduation." Ally turned him about, inspecting his robes to make sure all was fine.

"I'm fine, Ally. All part of the plan." He laughed, waving her off.

They all took a seat around the fire, their laughter winding down. Eleanor took Remus's hand as she sat beside him, resting her head against his shoulder. Sirius dug into the pocket of his robe, pulling out a bottle.

"And I've brought presents." He laughed, yanking the cap off of the bottle. The strong smell of cinnamon and liquor filled the air.

"You didn't!" James laughed, leaving Lily to walk over to him. "Firewhiskey, Padfoot… you're a genius."

"Yes, thank you, Prongs. I'm aware." Sirius pulled the bottle out of James's reach and stood up. "I'd like to make a toast… to us. Marauders… Mischief makers… best friends… lovers-" He winked, eyeing them all up. "-and Hogwarts graduates. May we go on to be successful and happy. Now go around and everyone add in. Come on… wishes, dreams… hopes and aspirations. Don't be afraid to sound like a fool. We won't remember anything in the morning, anyway."

They all laughed and stood up. Ally bit her lip and smiled up at him.

"I'd like to have a great next year at Hogwarts… and do well on my N.E.W.T.S."

"Well said." He bent down to kiss her with a smirk.

"To… Lily and James… whose wedding is getting closer and closer." Eleanor grinned, winking to Lily. "And to Ally, good luck next year."

"To being grown up…finally." Remus laughed, shrugging. "To being happy and healthy."

"To our futures… whatever they may be." Peter nodded, ringing his hands.

"To Hogwarts, for teaching us all that we know and for bringing us all together." James smirked.

"Agreed." Lily laughed. "To all of us being friends until the end."

"I'll drink to that." Sirius tipped back the bottle taking a good swig of the amber colored liquid. He winced, his face flushing. "Wow… that's intense."

Ally took the bottle from him with a laugh, eyeing it cautiously before taking a small sip. "Oh, wow…" She struggled to swallow. "Burns.. Burns…"

Remus took the bottle from her, tipping it back and taking a mouthful before handing it to Eleanor. She brought it to her lips and closed her eyes tightly, tipping it up to get a mouthful. She choked and coughed, forcing it down and handing it off. Already she felt herself warm up from the inside. She felt happy and excited, all of her troubles melted away. She laughed and held Remus's hand, swinging their arms back and forth.

"Wow, that was good…"

Sirius raised a brow, looking her over with a look of amusement. "I didn't know you were that easy, Nell."

"Oh, it appears so, doesn't it?" She laughed, jumping in place. "This is so cool!"

Lily giggled, handing the bottle back to Sirius. "Let's play a game!"

"A game? What kind of game?" He asked taking another sip.

Eleanor walked over to him and took the bottle, taking another big sip. "Let's play truth or dare."

"What's that?" Sirius raised a brow.

She just looked at him, eyes wide. "Are you serious?"

He shrugged, looking around. "Since the day I was born…"

It took a moment to sink in. She laughed suddenly, slapping his shoulder.

"Shut up! You know what I meant."

He laughed, looking over at Remus. "I think you'll be carrying her home tonight, Moony."

"Truth or dare… it's a Muggle game." Eleanor finally calmed herself, sighing lightly. "Starts with one person… who picks another and asks them, 'truth or dare'? And they pick which they want… if they pick truth, the asker gets to ask them any question and they have to answer truthfully. If they choose dare, well… the asker has to dare them to do something. If they don't do it, they have to shed an article of clothing.

"Oh, really?" Sirius smirked.

"Yes, it can be quite entertaining."

"I like it…" Sirius nodded. "Who's up for it?"

After giving it some thought, everyone agreed. They sat down again, the bottle periodically being passed among them.

"Well, it was your idea, Nell. I say you start it off." Sirius said.

"Alright." She smiled mischievously, looking around at everyone. "Lily."

Lily's smile widened and she looked down, knowing she was going to be picked. "Hmm…truth."

"Ooh, nice choice." Eleanor laughed. "Hmm… If you could date any other boy at Hogwarts… besides James, obviously… who would it be?"

Lily thought for a moment, aware of the looks curious James was passing her. "I think I'd have to say Christopher McMahon… the Hufflepuff boy."

"Oh, please… what a tart. Worst Seeker I've ever seen." James huffed.

Lily laughed. "His Quidditch skills have nothing to do with it."

Eleanor smirked. "I hear that."

Remus elbowed her gently with a laugh. James looked at them both and shook his head.

"Ridiculous."

"As ridiculous as it is… it's your turn, Lily." Eleanor pointed out, sticking her tongue out at James.

"Oh, right. Uh… Sirius." Lily clapped her hands together, sitting up straighter.

"Dare, if you please." He brushed his hair from his eyes and puffed out his chest.

Lily laughed, shaking her head. "I dare you…to run about in naught but your briefs singing the Hogwarts song at the top of your lungs."

He laughed, shaking his head as if he didn't hear her correctly.

"Pardon?"

"You heard me! Get to it!"

He stood up, reaching up to begin unbuttoning his shirt. As he removed it, he handed it over to Ally who sat laughing uncontrollably. A moment later, and he was circling the group in his underwear, the Hogwarts song sung loudly in his best singing voice. When he was finished, he took a bow and grabbed his clothes and pulled them back on. While buttoning his pants, he looked over at James with a laugh.

"James… truth or dare."

"Dare, of course."

Sirius screwed up his face in thought. "Hmm… I dare you to go all day tomorrow in a pair of heels."

"What?" He laughed. "Tomorrow?"

"Yes, you heard me. And if you don't do it, we'll spend the day hexing you with the most embarrassing spells we can think of."

"Alright then." James looked at Sirius as though he'd lost his mind. "Eleanor… truth or dare."

"Truth." She laughed, still imagining the hexes she would use.

"Brilliant. Who would you date if you weren't dating Moony?" He asked with a smile as Lily slapped his arm gently.

"Hmm…" She laughed, glancing over at Remus and thinking. Her eyes traveled over to Sirius for a quick moment.

He seemed to catch her eyes and his smile widened. He looked down quickly, reaching for the bottle of Firewhiskey. Eleanor couldn't decipher it. There was no doubt in her mind that if she hadn't been dating Remus she would be with him. And sometimes she could sense what he felt for her, too. But to say it out loud would just make things difficult for the group. She slowly reached down and began untying her shoe. Pulling it off, she placed it down in front of her and smirked.

"Ally, truth or dare."

"Oh!" James laughed, covering his mouth. "And why aren't you answering that one? Too embarrassed?"

"There isn't anyone else I'd rather be dating than Remus. There's just no answer." Eleanor shrugged, looking over at him.

Remus laughed, reddening slightly. He took her in his arms, kissing her cheek.

"Aw! That was adorable." Lily applauded.

Eleanor laughed, looking over at Ally. "Well?"

"Ah, dare."

"Finally! An adventurous girl!" Sirius raised the bottle to her before taking a swig from it.

"Hmmm." Eleanor thought. "How about… I dare you to allow James to perform any…painless hex he wishes on you."

Ally's eyes widened slightly and she eyed Eleanor as if she'd just betrayed her. Eleanor laughed, sitting straighter.

"I'm sorry! It's all I could think of!"

James smirked, his eyes examining Ally as his mind raced for the perfect hex. "I rather like this dare, Nell. Nice one. So, what do you say, Ally?"

"I say…" She turned to glare at him. "If you do anything that lands me a night with Pomfrey, I'll kill you."

"Alright, now. Don't get your knickers in a twist. I wouldn't dream of doing anything quite so harsh!"

"Go on, then. Get it over with." Ally looked down, folding her hands.

She opened her eyes a moment later as it got quiet, looking over at James. He was laughing hard and rolling on the ground. Everyone else was red with laughter, but she couldn't hear them. Confused, she reached up to touch her ear and was shocked when she felt a soft, cotton-like substance coming out of them. She pulled at it, but it wouldn't come out. She chuckled to herself.

"Come on, James! Fix it!" She hollered. At least she hoped it was hollered, she wasn't even sure the words had left her lips.

James took a deep breath, trying to control himself. He raised his wand, his lips moving. A second later, after a slight tickle in her ears, the sound came rushing back. She could hear Sirius laughing the hardest and looked down at him where he was lying on the ground beside her.

"What?"

"Could you hear anything I said?" He asked, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes.

"No! I couldn't hear anything!" She blushed slightly. "Alright… enough of that game."

"Aw, I'm sorry, Ally!" Eleanor put a hand over her mouth. "That was a horrible idea!"

"That's a good idea… let's move on." Lily chuckled.

They all took a moment to quiet themselves and for a few moments, there was no sound but the crackling fire, the breeze through the tops of the trees, and a faint rustling in the leaves.

"So, Lily… are you getting excited about the wedding?" Eleanor smirked.

Lily grinned. "You have no idea."

James laughed, rolling his eyes. "You girls haven't stopped talking about this for weeks."

"Oh, shut up! We're girls… we're supposed to get all excited and chatty about this sort of thing." Eleanor waved a hand at him.

"Well, you have two months to chat about it… don't ruin the moment." Sirius laughed. "Let's all close our eyes and just listen… listen and think."

Eleanor gave him a look before closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath, letting the sounds of the fire and the rustling leaves clear her mind. Pretty soon she would be out in the crazy world of 'adulthood'. It was nice to just enjoy the peace for a moment.