Lily frowned as she watched the Slytherin table. She constantly told Severus that she didn't approve of his friends, but yet she still saw them all together. Her lovely lips were still downturned when the Slytherin joined her. "What's wrong, Lil?" She blushed—she didn't think she was that easy to read.
"I just don't like them, Sev." He frowned; she laced their fingers together.
"I know. I don't really like them either." Anger flared in her green eyes.
"Then why do you keep them around?" Severus blushed a bit and placed is other hand on her cheek.
"Because I need them, Lily. I wish I could say I didn't, but they're all I have in my own house." He let his hand fall. Lily stood on her toes (Severus had grown a bit over the summer) and put her lips to his. He hesitated; she noticed.
"They're why you hide us, aren't they?" Severus wanted to deny, he desperately wanted to deny it. But she was right. "I know what they think of muggle-borns; you're ashamed." She couldn't have been more wrong. Severus let go of Lily's hand. The redhead looked distraught until he brought both of his hands to her face.
"As if I could be ashamed of the most wonderful girl in this castle." Blood flowed into her cheeks. "I'm just afraid, Lil. They're not exactly the best people." He pressed their foreheads together. "I just want you to be safe."
Remus scratched the top of the dog's head as he studied; Sirius thumped his tail against the floor. Lately the pureblood preferred lounging around the dormitory as a dog—no one else minded the new calm. Remus scribbled out a few incorrect sentences and continued his Potions essay. The hair threaded between his fingers still felt silky, he never noticed Sirius transform back into a boy. "So Moony, since we're both dogs and everything….I was thinking we see how compatible we are next full moon." Remus could hear Sirius's smirk.
"Doesn't sound like a good idea, Padfoot." Sirius groaned and nuzzled into Remus's leg. "But I wannna." Remus laughed and went back to scratching Sirius's head. "Remus, can we stay like this?" The werewolf's hand paused, and he looked down at the animagus.
"Stay like what, Sirius?" The black-haired boy sat up on his knees and grasped Remus's shirt with both hands.
"Us—together. I…can we make this last forever?" Remus blushed. "Please Rem, I…I'm not sure I even know how to act without you." The werewolf let go of his quill and laced both of his hands in Sirius's silky hair.
"Sirius, you know this sounds like a proposal, right?" Blood invaded the pureblood's cheeks. He didn't exactly intend that.
"Well if you say yes, then it can be." Sirius was smirking, but Remus could see the uncertainty behind it.
"Let's leave it at a 'we'll see', yeah?" The animagus was disappointed until he realized while it wasn't a yes, it also wasn't a no. Remus brought their lips together quickly and then returned to his essay. While he didn't exactly get what he wanted, Sirius still grinned madly—he was a step closer. "You know you should be working on this too. OWLs are coming up; you'll need the practice." Sirius scoffed.
"OWLs are still months away. You worry too much, Moony." Remus laughed and shook his head. "And besides, I'm a genius. It'll be no problem for me."
"If you say so, Pads." The large, black dog returned. Remus sighed a bit inwardly—did this boy take nothing seriously?—and returned to scratching its head.
James sat sprawled underneath the Marauder's favourite tree. Peter copied his work furiously as the hazel-eyed boy watched the Black Lake. The giant squid was basking on the water's surface, but James didn't take his usual joy from the site. For pretty much the first time in his life, the boy was deep in thought. OWLs were steadily approaching, which meant it was almost time to grow up. James—the prank king, the jokester, the still-has-barely-hit-puberty—wasn't ready for that. He didn't think he'd be able to cope out there; he didn't think he could stand being all alone. "We'll all be friends after Hogwarts, right Peter?" The round boy looked up in surprise.
"Course James. It'll take a lot more than graduation to break up the Maruaders." James smiled wearily—he still wasn't fully consoled. He'd feel much better once these exams were done with. And, well, he'd also feel much better if his other best friends were here.
At first James cherished their cute little puppy-couple. But now it was starting to make him uneasy (he had never told that to Peter, who already harbored insecurities about the couple). It used to be James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter; but now it was Sirius and Remus all day, every day. At first James toyed at the idea of being jealous, but this wasn't jealousy—this was fear. If they already found everything they needed in each other why would they need James and Peter? What if they realized two was a better number than four? James shook the thought from his head. They were still were a happy family. Nothing—OWLs, relationships, animagi—would change that.
"James, are you sure you got this part right? I don't think Grindylow's fear Lily Evans." James laughed a little and went to fix his mistake.
"Thanks Peter. Sometimes I just can't seem to shake her from my thoughts." Peter smiled—a bit forcedly. He, like James, feared relationships. But unlike James, Remus, and Sirius, he wasn't already fixated on someone. Peter was the only one that would end up truly alone.
"Don't we all know it, mate." Peter was the only one with everything to lose.