Chapter 11

A/N at the bottom, as always.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Slavery is illegal. ("What do you mean, he's not real, so it's technically not slavery? He is real, you uncultured swine.")

A week later, four Slytherins were not in their beds that morning.

Mulciber was found tied to the ceiling of the dungeons.

Rosier was gagged in a broom closet.

Avery was found running around a second floor classroom like a chicken with its head cut off, muttering "Never again, lights out, never again, lights out..." The door was unlocked, but the boy was too confused to notice.

And Goyle had been expelled for the use of an Unforgivable Curse.

All of the three boys that remained were bound by the wrists with braided cords, each with a tag that read,

Justice is served.

-The Marauders

The teachers puzzled over the vague name, but the Gryffindor Seventh Year girls gave grim, knowing looks to the four boys as Dumbledore gravely announced that Goyle had come to him and confessed, and told him his friends were missing.

...

Present

Recap:

"What is it?"

Sirius slowly turned his head and looked at her. He opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. A barrage of words came spilling from his tongue, so that Lily barely understood him.

"Alice's sister is dead."

...

"Dead? What do you mean, dead?"

Lily stared at Sirius, refusing to believe the words that had just come out of his mouth.

"Sarah can't be dead. She-Sirius, this is some sick joke, isn't it? The four of you can't joke about this kind of thing, it's going too far, I swear to Merlin-"

Sirius grabbed her by her shoulders. "Lily, calm down. It's not a joke. Calm down, please. There was an attack in Diagon Alley last night-"

"Bullshit. You're lying to me. Why are you lying to me, Sirius? Please, stop lying to me."

Sirius pulled her into a hug as the first sob wracked her frame, tears spilling from her eyes as she thought of Alice's beautiful ten-year-old sister, who had been so excited for the Hogwarts letter she would never receive.

...

"Alice, open the door. It's Lily. You need to open the door. You don't have to come out, just please open up."

No response.

"Now."

"Go the fuck away."

As Lily tried to protest, she felt the slamming impact of a Knockback Jinx and was sent flying down the dormitory stairs, landing on some cushions Sirius summoned just in time.

Remus and James happened to enter the common room at that moment, and Remus scrambled over to her. "Lily, are you okay?" James shifted from foot to foot, maintaining a distance, not wanting her to blow up at him in the middle of the common room. Again.

"I'm fine. Alice barricaded herself in there, and she won't come out. She won't let anyone in, either."

Remus processed what she said for a moment, then nodded.

Lily, seeing that he was caught up, went to try again. Remus stuck out his arm, blocking her.

"No. I'll talk to her."

Lily frowned, then nodded. Remus had a way with people. If anyone could get through to her, he could.

Remus chewed his lip thoughtfully. After a moment, he narrowed his eyes, then nodded to Lily, and said, "Remember A and S nights? Standard protocol." Lily smiled and raised a practiced arm. "Wingardium Leviosa!" ("Why didn't we ever think of that, Prongs?" "Shut up, Pads.")

Remus was levitated up the stairs, a look of determination on his face. He stepped onto the floor above, gave a thumbs up to show he was okay, and strode toward their dorm.

He banged on the door. "Alice."

"Fuck off." A hollow voice responded.

Remus sighed. "Alice, please."

"Fuck off!"

"No. Alice, open the door-"

They heard a bang, and Remus came flying down the stairs just like Lily, also landing on Sirius's cushions.

The common room went dead silent, what little conversation that had still remained after Lily being jinxed finally quelled. No one did that to a Marauder, especially Remus. No one.

Remus gritted his teeth. He pushed himself up and rolled up his sleeves. Instantly, the other three took a step back, knowing what the gesture meant. Remus was no longer fooling around.

Remus stomped over to the the girl's dormitory staircase, simply silencing the blaring klaxon, and-at this James and Sirius gaped at each other, slightly annoyed at him for not sharing the secret-literally floated up, stepping on air with apparent ease.

Gryffindor house stared. This display of skill was unheard of by a student, and all of them waited with baited breath to see what happened next.

Remus reached the top once more, not even winded, only appearing slightly irritated and concerned.

"Alice, either you open the door or I get in another way."

"Good luck," Alice screamed back.

Remus cocked an eyebrow in challenge. "October 13, 1976."

"I don't need luck," James and Sirius muttered together. "I'm a Marauder."

The rest of the common room frowned, the date making no sense to them, but Alice smiled through the door and Lily smirked from her place down the stairs as they remembered the dare that no one had expected Remus to accept.

Ah, but you do not know that story, do you, dear reader? Let me enlighten you.

It all started when James and Sirius started a game of Truth or Dare, which basically translated to Embarrassing Secret or Performing a Sexual Act/Running Naked Through the Halls/Asking Out McGonagall in Various Obnoxious Ways when it came to them.

But I'm getting off topic. When Remus asked to join for a single round, the other boys, Alice, Lily and Marlene's were surprised. Usually it was just Sirius and James, who made it interesting by never backing down from a dare.

James started by daring Sirius to give Miranda Everly, a very intimidating seventh year, a lap dance.

You can imagine how that went.

After stumbling back to the boys' dorm, the others laughing hysterically as Sirius winced with every step, muttering about learning a hex or two from Miranda to use on James, they sat again.

And the dare was spoken.

It was easy really. Quite simple.

But no one expected Remus to say yes.

"I dare you to make out with the first girl you see when you go down the stairs. Then run out of the portrait hole and count to ten slowly at the top of your lungs while sprinting down the corridor."

The girls blinked, taken aback by Sirius's rather oddly well thought-out dare.

Remus thought for a moment, swept back his sandy hair, and nodded.

"Okay," he said, standing up.

This prompted a gasp from the girls' lips. Lily, who had been studiously ignoring James as she always did, trying to act bored, stared at Remus in shock.

"Really?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah. Come on."

The others followed as Remus started to the door.

"I hope you don't get caught," Marlene joked.

"Yeah, good luck," Alice added.

Remus turned and smirked at them. "I don't need luck. I'm a Marauder, remember?"

With that, he moved carefully down the stairs until he came to Clancy Teller, a pretty girl in the year below who had harbored a crush on him that he'd never admitted to returning, but it was apparent to his friends that he did.

"Sorry about this," he said, and kissed her. She dropped the book she was holding and wrapped her arms around him, threading her fingers into his curly hair.

After several seconds, he pulled away, looking punch-drunk. "I'll- I'll be right back," he stammered. "Sorry!"

He yelled the last word over his shoulder as he barreled through the room to complete his dare.

...

When he came back ten minutes later, breathless and grinning, Peter similarly winded and excited, the others knew the dare was complete.

"Blimey," Peter huffed. "I thought Filch's jaw was going to fall off, seeing Perfect Prefect Moony making such a ruddy noise."

Remus burst out laughing.

...

Remus dated Clancy Teller for most of sixth year before they broke it off, both agreeing they just didn't really have feelings for each other anymore, Clancy looking knowingly at Sirius, a fact unnoticed by Remus. They laughed about that kiss now, and still studied together sometimes, staying reasonably good friends.

Anyway, back to the present.

...

Remus gave the solid door a dubious look before doing what no one had dared to do before; he eyed the door up and down for a moment more before ramming it with his shoulder, his strength amplified from the full moon's proximity, breaking the door clean off its hinges. Remus allowed himself a smirk, proud to have succeeded.

Alice jumped in surprise, and some of the students watching cried out.

Remus stooped, stepped through, and straightened, brushing the dust from his hair. He waved his wand to reattach the door and sat down, unfazed, on the bed across from Alice. "Now then. Let's talk."

Classic Marauderness and badass Remus. You are very welcome.

Review if you can! I love it when you do.

See ya next week!

*UPDATED 11/21/17*: I really want a cool Marauders cover art, preferably something with their Animagi. If you know someone or *gasp* are an artist yourself and want to give me an art, that would be awesome! I think I found one I like, but I don't know the artist (I mean I can credit them but I don't technically have permission) so I don't think I can use it. So yeah, if you have something that the artist is okay with me using, PM ME PLS AND THX.

~~~J, a friend. "Sanctissimi cordis, quam acerrimi animi!"