Disclaimer: Everything here (besides the few things you don't know) belongs to JK Rowling, creator of the worlds of Harry Potter.
A/N: Again, it took me a while to update, but take heart - next chapter is ready (almost), and unless something unexpected happens, the story will be updated next week. So again I find myself apologizing, but hoping that you would like this chapter which is mostly harmless fun :)
Enjoy!
Chapter Twenty Six - Padfoot's Doghouse
For the first two weeks of summer, nothing much happened. Remus helped his parents around the house and in the garden, did his summer homework and mostly did nothing, taking pleasure in the fact that despite still waking up early in the morning he did not have any pressure on him to get up and start the day. The summer holidays were a treat. For the first month, at least. After that it usually became somewhat dull.
Which was why he was delighted to get a letter from Sirius after two weeks were over. It was a rather thin envelope this time, and the handwriting was his normal, semi-illegible scribble. Hoping it meant that he was invited to Potter Manor, Remus quickly slit it open and unfolded the parchment within.
"Moony,
"No, don't panic. This is not a repeat of the dreary letter I had sent you last year. Nah. Just wanted to invite you to a very special thing:
"The grand opening of my very own place! That's right! Your eyes are not deceiving you - I, Sirius Black, am now the proud owner of a very nice - even if I do say so myself - flat. James helped me pick it up and has helped me furnish it and paint it. He did give my choice of colours some weird faces, but what I choose to colour my living space with is none of his business, don't you agree?"
Remus stopped reading, his eyes widening in horror as he thought of the possible combinations that Sirius could have chosen, left to his own devices. Purple-dotted yellow expanses flashed in his mind, accompanied by teal stripes on an orange background and a few other lurid combinations. Sirius could be dangerous on his own.
He continued reading.
"So anyway, without further ado, make your way tomorrow afternoon, if you will, to the Muggle neighbourhood of Periwinkle Alley in London, and go to the fifth floor of number 8. Or rather, I'll be waiting for you at the entrance of number 8. Housewarming presents recommended!
"See you there!
"Padfoot."
Putting down the letter and smiling to himself, Remus wondered whether it was Alphard's money that had helped Sirius into independent life. While he knew his friend loved living with the Potters, who had doted upon him like a second son, he also knew that Sirius felt guilty at living with them, using their things and eating their food. Buying his own flat, now that he was finally seventeen and able to support himself without someone making him go back to his legal guardians, was that final act that made his life complete.
He would have to wait for his parents to come home before he could ask their permission, but he had no doubt that they would allow it. After all, they knew Sirius and liked him well enough.
And so the next morning found him making his way from the Leaky Cauldron, to which he arrived by floo, down to the nearest Underground station in Muggle London and then back up to an unfamiliar street. His father had drawn a map for him, but Remus was really afraid that he would get lost in the hustle and bustle that was the city.
Finally, though, he spotted the turn to Periwinkle Alley and breathed more freely again. He cursed Sirius for choosing a place without a fireplace. It was really time - and money - consuming, to get to his place. Remus found himself wishing he could Apparate. Apparition made life that much easier.
Looking at the sign on one of the buildings, he saw it was number Thirty Four. While it meant that he was on the right side of the street, it also meant that he came from the wrong end and would have to walk for a while more before he could get to Sirius' place. Sighing, somewhat disgruntled, he started walking again.
He could see Sirius long before he reached the building. He looked completely out of place in the impeccable neighbourhood where respectable families lived - a young man wearing scuffed jeans and a leather jacket and so obviously out of place. He was practically bouncing on the soles of his feet as Remus came down the street. The young werewolf could see that his friend was anxious for him to arrive, and so he quickened his pace.
"Morning, Padfoot," he said, greeting the taller boy. "How long have you been waiting?"
"Long enough," Sirius replied somewhat tetchily, but then grinned. "Come on, you have got to see the flat!" And without waiting to see if Remus followed, he practically ran through the building's door (missing the fact that it almost closed in Remus' face) and leaped up the stairs. Trying to keep up, Remus clambered up the stairs after him, soon completely winded. It was a long climb.
Finally they came to a stop. There were no more stairs. The landing at the top was small, but scrubbed clean. Remus contemplated for a moment dropping on it and regaining his breath for a while. He was not the running type.
"Ta-da!" Sirius called in excitement as he opened the only door on the fifth - and last - floor of the building. "Welcome to my flat, Moony! What do you think?"
Still breathing heavily, Remus cautiously followed his friend through the door. He did not know what to expect, this being Sirius' flat of all people. He half-expected those promised garish colours from Sirius' letter and outlandish furniture. Though he did not find the latter, he was not extremely disappointed. The flat was… eccentric, to say the least, and distinctly Sirius.
The walls of the living space were painted a bright yellow and covered with posters of Quidditch players and long-legged, busty models. The furniture, while not outlandish as Remus had expected, was terribly mismatched, yet looked comfortable. Some of it was very old while some appeared to have been newly bought. There was a wicker table covered with magazines and a random newspaper, a threadbare, purple velvet armchair, a plaid sofa and a strangely shaped standing lamp.
It had a clawed foot.
"That's the living space," Sirius elaborated, grinning. "And through here-" he led Remus through a wide wooden doorframe, "-is the kitchen."
If Remus thought that the previous room was Sirius at both his best and worst, the kitchen had proved him wrong. This was the masterpiece of cheerful horror.
The walls were painted purple and the window frames were blue. The counter was dark grey, which was all right and probably left there by the previous owners, but the dining table was made of bright red plastic and the wooden chairs had an orange-and-green padding. But the horror work of art of the entire room, and thus of the entire flat, was innocently standing to one side, obvious against the wall.
It was a Muggle refrigerator, and it was neon green.
Not allowed to take even a moment to regain his senses, Sirius was already dragging him out of the kitchen and back to the living space, from which a short corridor led into two other rooms - the bathroom (a lurid confection of red tiles, an orange bath and a blue toilet, not to mention the gilded mirror that Sirius proudly explained he had gotten from Andromeda's mother-in-law), and the bedroom.
The bedroom was a mess, and that was all Remus was prepared to think of it at the moment. He wished he had covered his eyes.
Or something.
"So?" Sirius asked proudly as they made their way back to the living space. "What do you think?"
Remus hoped his painful grimace could be mistaken for a smile. "Absolutely fantastic," he said.
"Isn't it?" Sirius said happily. "And James said it was awful."
James had no idea how right he was.
Awful simply was not enough…
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sirius' flat, or Padfoot's Doghouse as it was soon dubbed - by whom, Remus did not quite remember - became the Marauders' refuge. Though Peter, James and Remus all loved their parents, they all had reasons to want to be alone with their friends. Peter to escape his stern, though over-doting mother, James to escape Keira who seemed to be at his house every other day and sometimes because his parents were away (Remus could see his parents' absences hurt him, but James was not one to complain), and Remus… Remus just wanted to spend some time with his friends.
It was a great place to be away from your parents. Messy, cheerful, always with good things to eat and drink in the fridge, and, most importantly, completely theirs. Sirius had made it clear that though he owned the flat, it belonged to all Marauders.
It was a place where fights should never occur. Which was precisely why, one night when Sirius invited the Marauders to stay over for the night, about a week or so after Remus first came by, he was surprised to hear sounds of a furious, though quietly-kept, fight coming from the kitchen. He had been asleep, but the sounds annoyed him too much. Rising from the improvised mattress on the floor, he noted that while Peter was quietly snoring to one side, James' pile of blankets was empty.
Softly padding closer to the kitchen's opening, he could see a dim light and Sirius and James' voices became clearer, angrier.
"-could have told me!" James snapped.
"Told you what?" Sirius whispered vehemently. "That your cousin's damn hot and I would very much like to get her into bed? For Merlin's sake, Prongs - is that something you'd tell your best friend? That you want to shag his cousin?"
"I wouldn't want to shag one of your cousins if my life depended on it," James said harshly, though not without a trace of humour. "But that's not what we're dealing with here, Padfoot, now is it? For six years you've been flirting with Keira, teasing her, taunting her, helping me hex her! And now you're telling me - no, cross that! I had to hear it from her, that you tried snogging her at the end of the year?!"
"It was a thing of the moment, Prongs! An instinct!" Sirius said, in contradiction to his earlier comment. "It's not like I want a girlfriend - especially not your cousin!"
"Then explain why you've been having dreams about her!" James barked, and Remus could only think, So apparently Sirius' dreams have not gone unnoticed…
"Dreams?" Sirius was slightly taken aback, before his temper flamed again. "I'm allowed to have dreams, Prongs! It's not like I can control them, now can I?"
There was a moment's silence, after which Remus could hear James mumble, "The least you can do it cast silencing charms on your curtains…" Then, in a louder, but not by much, voice, he said, "Honestly, now, Sirius. What do you want with Keira?"
There was a helpless sound from Sirius. "I don't know. I honestly don't know. She's… she's nothing like the other girls. Perhaps she's not fiery like Lily, but… she has spirit. She's the only girl out there who can challenge me - she's the only one who fights back when I taunt her or make fun of her. I might even go as far as say she's a friend."
Remus could hear James snort.
"Snort all you like, Prongs. I know it's twisted, but can you imagine a life without Keira? She's as much a fact of my life as Lily is in yours. Don't get me wrong - I'm perfectly content keeping things as they are - it's fun making her mad, and in a way that attempted snogging session last month was intended to do just that - but… maybe, one day, I might take it further. I'm not in love with her, but I do love her. Even as a friend."
"Even as a friend?"
"If it hurts you to think of us as anything but that, then yes, even as a friend."
"If you hurt her-"
"You think I'd dare do that?" Sirius said wonderingly. "You think I would dare hurt your cousin, when half the school knows that you would tear anyone who'd do that to pieces and that she would do the same for you?"
An embarrassed silence spread in the kitchen and Remus knew exactly why. Keira and James deluded themselves into thinking that everyone thought they hated each other and could not stand being in the same room together. They thought they had them all fooled. Truth was, the only people who had been fooled were James and Keira.
"Erm…" James finally let out weakly, "I… Err…"
Remus could hear Sirius smirk.
"Thought no one knew that you actually liked your dear cousin?"
There was no reply from James.
"Good, old Prongsie," Sirius chuckled. "I'd bet you both thought you were doing such a great job at hiding it."
Still no answer.
Smiling to himself, and knowing that the two friends would settle everything quietly now, Remus crept back to his improvised bed and went back to sleep.
In the morning, it was as though nothing had come to pass between Sirius and James. They joked as usual, James making his normal, disgusted comments at Sirius' kitchen, and Sirius valiantly defending his poor refrigerator.
Though James did appear thoughtful when the four made a rather sloppy breakfast of leftover pasta from the night before and cookies, it soon became obvious that something entirely different than the night's events was on his mind.
"Did you lot hear about Dumbledore's new plan?" he asked, half-heartedly munching on a chocolate-covered biscuit.
"No," Peter said around a mouthful of pasta and then swallowed in order to speak more clearly. "What's the old coot up to now?"
"Starting from next year the school's offering an Apparition course, lasting for several months and by the end of it all students of age will go through an Apparition test. Technically it's supposed to be for the sixth years, but since it's new, seventh years will be able to go through with it as well, but… I'd really wish we could finish it before the year starts."
He paused, allowing them all to think it over, before continuing, emboldened by their curious expressions. "So I was thinking, since all of us are already seventeen, and have already accomplished much harder feats, why don't we take the Ministry's shortened course and finish with it this summer instead of waiting for that new Hogwarts course?" he said, grinning. "It could be so much fun - coming to school next year and telling everyone that we've already gotten our permits!"
Remus looked up at Sirius, then at Peter and finally at James. They all wore identical expressions of excitement. He recognized that expression. It was the same look that appeared on their faces when they first came up with the idea of turning themselves into Animagi in order to keep him company on the full moon. It was an expression which told him that this was something they intended to do no matter what other people said, and that, eventually, they would succeed. And the most frightening thing about it - he knew that on his face appeared that selfsame expression.
"Sure," he said, voicing what they all thought. "Let's do it."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They all agreed that they would register for the course the next week. It was an intense course, only three weeks long. It would mean getting up every day at six and getting back home only around ten, but they were determined to go through with it, even at the cost of losing many hours of sleep.
But there was one thing that the other three did not know, and Remus was determined not to tell them about it. They had gone to enough trouble on his behalf over the years. This was something he could do for himself.
Unlike normal witches and wizards, werewolves were not easily given the chance of receiving an Apparition permit. They could not just walk to the Ministry and apply for a course and a testing. It took many recommendations, legal documents to be signed by dozens of people, things needed to be filed and marked.
It was bureaucratic hell, but it had to be done.
And so he wrote letters. To Dumbledore, to McGonagall, to Flitwick and even to Sprout. He filed a request for recommendation with the board of governors and went to the Werewolf Registry in order to let them know of his intentions. He went to the Apparition Directory in order to get the right forms and files. He had his parents drive him back and forth to the Ministry over an entire week before everything was ready.
And so, by the time James came by the floo network to get him to Potter Manor and from there by Portkey to the Ministry, everything was set and he just smiled and nodded, going with him, as though nothing had happened over the week they had not met. The Marauders need never know. It would not do any good, seeing as this was the law. Werewolves just had no rights - it was a fact of life and something that Remus had learned to live with a long time ago, despite the fact that being around his friends helped him forget… for a little while.
The Apparition course was not like anything Remus had ever gone through. Though there were immensely difficult classes at school, they did not come close to the level of concentration and practice Apparition demanded. Every day was hellishly hard, and by the time he arrived home at night he was so tired, physically and mentally tired, that he skipped dinner and went straight to bed. Though he could see, in the morning, from the corner of his eye, his parents looking at each other with worry in their eyes, he knew he could not quit. It was now a matter of pride - to show that a werewolf could go through with it despite the humiliating process and the instructor's offensive remarks.
He had to pull James and Sirius back several times when the instructor said something about, "Useless half-humans who can't learn the art of Apparition for the life of them." This was after he had missed a day of practice after the full moon.
He had almost gotten himself splinched four times, which was better than Sirius with his seven and Peter with his six, but much less successful than James' two.
They were long three weeks, but by the time the testing arrived, Remus felt that he could have his permit on the first go.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That was it. That was truly it. The person assigned to see if he had done it right was standing by him, smiling benignly at him, a clipboard at his side, a silver-feathered quill in his hand. He filled Remus' details, merely lifting his eyebrows once when Remus admitted to being a werewolf and handed him his special permit for examination. He said nothing, which was a surprise, and did not even flinch when Remus' hand accidentally brushed his as the werewolf permit exchanged hands.
He vaguely remembered the instructor sternly and quite malicefully telling him the list of places to which he was supposed to Apparate to, which, quite expectedly, also included a Muggle garbage dump - his final destination. He only barely heard the examiner telling him he could go.
Later, when asked by his parents of the locations he had gone through, he could only shake his head helplessly. He did not remember. The whole while he was worried that he might get splinched, or spotted, or something, which would prove the bigoted instructor that he had been right all along. There was snow at some point, and then there was heat, and he distinctly remembered smelling the sea once, but beyond that, he could not say. The only thing he remembered clearly was the very end of the test.
It was the last time he Apparated from one place to another, and he was certain that he had failed. The picture was not fixed firmly in his mind. Carefully opening his eyes, Remus risked looking around. His heart was beating at a double pace. A dismantled Muggle car to one side, a broken refrigerator to the other, heaps of broken machinery and Muggle gadgets in every other direction, and in the background, the skyline of a town.
It took him a moment to realize that he did it. He did it!
Before he could so much as let out a whoop of joy, a wizard in bright purple robes appeared from behind the car and grinned at the exalted Remus.
"Welcome to the world of permitted Apparition, Mr. Lupin," the man said, smiling. "Congratulations."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Here's to us!" Sirius said, ever-so-cheerfully, as the four boys sat around the wicker table in his flat, all excited. He brought four shot glasses filled to the brim with Firewhiskey, the bottle floating by his side. "To the Marauders!"
"The Marauders!" they all cried in unison and clinked their glasses, taking their drinks down in one gulp.
It was truly a wonderful thing, to be able to Apparate. It gave one, especially a werewolf, so bound by laws and bigotry, a feeling of complete and utter freedom. He could now go wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and not worry about how to get there. It was… refreshing.
Though Peter came close to splinching himself on a Muggle, all four of them passed together which made the celebration even grander. They were the Marauders, brothers in cause if not in blood. They were the greatest - no one could surpass them.
They were invincible
Of course, they would all sorely regret consuming so much alcohol the next day and Remus would once again swear to never touch a drink again, but at the moment, pleasantly warm both on the inside and the outside, basking in the glow of their success and the thought of coming to school already able to Apparate and not needing the new course, everything was wonderful.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was almost the end of summer, and though the Marauders spent every possible moment either in Sirius' place or in Diagon Alley, they were all excited for the school year to begin, something which was marked by the arrival of the usual owl from Hogwarts.
"Remus!" his father's voice came from bellow. "The letter from school arrived!"
The letter from school. Remus felt his insides freeze. An unpleasant thought crept into his mind. The letter from Hogwarts has arrived. Would it bear good news or bad ones? Would Dumbledore be proven crazy beyond all measure? Surely after the happenings of the previous year he would not do that final step, would he?
Gulping, he gathered his favourite, old dressing gown around him and made his way downstairs. His parents were sitting by the kitchen table, eating breakfast. A third plate was in place for him in case he chose to join them. They always put a plate for him. This morning, a letter was waiting on top it. A letter inscribed with the familiar green ink.
"Morning, dear," his mother said pleasantly, but she received no answer.
Mutely, he strode to the table, snatched the letter from its place and hurried back out of the kitchen and up the stairs, completely missing the exchanging of looks that passed between his parents. He was too worried to pay any attention to anything but the Hogwarts letter that he was holding as far away from his body as possible - holding it as though it was a live snake.
Sitting down by his desk he threw it on the flat surface and stared at it for a while. When he held it, he was too anxious to note anything unusual about it. He had felt so numb, carrying it up the stairs. Did it feel heavier than usual? Was it lumpy? He could not remember. Panic was lurking at the corner of his mind. Surely Dumbledore would not…
His heart beating hard against his chest, praying under his breath that the envelope will not be heavier than usual, Remus gingerly picked it up again. He could breathe somewhat more easily now. The envelope was not exceptionally heavy. And yet… Dumbledore could have charmed it to be so.
Taking a deep breath, he quickly slit the envelope open and in one, hurried flick of his hand, turned it upside down and emptied its contents on the desk. There were only the usual two parchments - the letter from McGonagall and the equipment list. No badge.
Down in the Lupins' kitchen, Saffron, who was taking her morning tea before going off to work, and William, who was just picking up his coat from the hanger, were startled to hear their son shouting a very, very loud, "YES!!!"
Exchanging looks again, the couple shrugged. Their son was like that sometimes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remus was humming cheerfully to himself the next day. He had not stopped humming since the day before when the Hogwarts owl came, bearing the best kind of news. He was not going to be Head Boy! Though McGonagall's letter did say he was still Prefect and expected to attend to his duties as he had done for the previous two years, he was not Head boy!
More than anything in the world he had dreaded that Dumbledore will make worse his mistake from two years before and decide that Remus, and through him, the Marauders, needed more power over other students. Now his heart was easy, though he did wonder who would receive that post. Snape would be the worst option, for he would lord it over Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws and no place would be safe - especially for the Marauders, whom he would surely hunt down with a vengeance. The other two options were not much better either. He dearly hoped that Lily would be able to keep whoever it was in check.
It was early morning, and he was quite happily munching on a muffin by the living room's fire, reading a book and quietly humming to himself. His father had already left to work some half an hour earlier, and his mother was in the kitchen, making a second cup of tea before she really had to go to the Ministry and work.
A sudden crack made both of them jump, Remus choking on his last bite of muffin and, attested by the sound of china breaking in the kitchen, Saffron dropping her cup.
"Remus?!" she cried in alarm, her footsteps coming hurriedly from the kitchen.
"Sorry, Mrs. Lupin!" a voice apologized cheerfully as a hand thumped Remus on the back as he violently coughed. "I still haven't got the hang of this!"
Sirius. How not surprising. While James was capable of quietly popping into the room, with only the slightest sound, Sirius was quite happy to boom and crack as he Apparated and Disapparated.
"Oh, Sirius, it's you," Saffron said, relieved. "Do try not to do it next time."
"Of course, Mrs. Lupin," Sirius said insincerely. He was having way too much fun making noises as he went. But Remus' mother accepted that lie and went back to the kitchen in order to repair her broken cup.
When Remus finally managed to stop choking, he glared at Sirius. "Mind what you're telling to my mum, or I will tell her how her favourite vase had been broken two years ago."
Sirius waved it off. "She likes me too much to do anything about that.'sides, it's been two years. Now, I've actually come here with a business proposal. Did you get your letter from school?"
"Ah, yes," Remus said, and could not help allowing a big smile spread on his face. That made Sirius more than a little suspicious. His eyes glinted with that distinct light that came up whenever he was plotting something.
"Why, Moony," he said silkily. "You didn't happen to get Head Boy, now did you?"
Remus almost laughed at this. Sirius was hoping he had gotten that position. It would give him and James so many opportunities to abuse. Smiling in satisfaction, he shook his head. "Nope," he said. "Haven't gotten it, thank Merlin. I'm still Prefect - no extra duties."
Though Sirius' face fell somewhat at that, he shook his head and sighed. "Pity, but we can work around that nonetheless. Anyway, about my proposal. I thought you'd like to come with me to Diagon Alley and buy all the stuff we need for school. I'm going to bring Wormtail and Prongs, too - only Prongs is probably still asleep, so I thought I'd go by his place a little later."
"Hmmm… I guess that could be nice…" Remus deliberately sounded thoughtful before smiling widely at Sirius' crestfallen expression. "Oh, for Merlin's sake, Padfoot, did you really think I'd say no?! Of course I'll come!"
"Great!" Sirius' expression changed in seconds. "And later we can stop at my place and plan a few pranks for the beginning of the year!"
At this Remus narrowed his eyes. "Is your flat anywhere near tidy?"
His friend looked quite ashamed at this, which was rather hilarious, combined with the fact that he tried looking innocent. "Erm… I suppose it could do with a bit of tidying up," he finally said delicately.
"How much is 'a bit'?"
"I suppose there are a few clothes strewn about - and I haven't actually washed any dishes in a while."
Remus noted the use of those indistinct words. Few, a while… who does he think he's kidding?
"Tell you what, Padfoot," he said pleasantly. "Go and Apparate to Peter's, since you're already warmed up and ready for mayhem and tell him to come. I'll floo James and ask if he's coming along," Remus said. "And after you've talked to Peter, go and do a bit of cleaning. How about that?"
"Do I have to, Moony?" Sirius whined, his eyes pleading.
"Yes. Now, away with you. I'll Apparate over once I've contacted him."
He did not turn to see Sirius Apparate away.
Kneeling by the fireplace, Remus threw a pinch of floo powder into the flames and, as they turned green, cried, "Potter Manor, Green Guest Sitting Room" and stuck his head in.
The grate in which his head appeared was the one in the guests' sitting room just off James' wing. It was the closest fireplace to James' room and his friend spent a lot of time there. He had to shout for several minutes before heavy footsteps came, slowly and hesitatingly. It was as though that person - most likely James - was not quite sure whether they wanted to take the call or not.
At long last, the door to the room opened and the thin, tall figure of James appeared. He had a lost sort of look in his eyes, but as he spotted Remus' head floating in the green flames, he shook his head and kneeled beside it.
"Hello, Moony," he said quietly. "What can I do for you?"
It was definitely a classic James Potter line, but it lacked the usual luster that should have come with it, and he did not sound like his heart was really in it.
"Sirius was here just now. Wanted to know whether we wanted to come and shop for school with him, since the year starts in only a week and we might as well make a fun day out of it. He's contacting Peter and I said I'd talk to you. We want to go there now and have lunch at the Cauldron. How 'bout it? Coming?"
"I'm sorry, Moony," James said in a strangely subdued voice and shook his head. "I can't come with you. I'll see you all on the train next week, all right?"
"Sure," Remus said, frowning. "Is everything all right, Prongs?"
"What?" James asked distractedly. "Yeah, yeah. Everything's fine. I just… I'll see you next week. Bye." And without warning he walked away from the fire and out of Remus' line of sight.
Now that was decidedly weird, Remus thought, wondering what was wrong with his friend. He looked so… lost, confused. Something was definitely off at the Potter household, but seeing as James did not really want to talk at the moment, it would have to wait for the week after.
Sighing, he shouted in the general direction of his parents' study that, "I'm going to Sirius', Mum! And then to Diagon Alley!" Upon his mother's answering shout of," It's not very polite to shout from the other side of the house, Remus! Enjoy and don't come back home too late!", he Apparated away.
"Managed to contact Prongs?" Sirius asked, holding a pile of dirty laundry in his arms as Remus appeared in the middle of his kitchen.
"Yes, but he said he can't make it. Didn't tell me why, but I get the feeling that something's not quite right with him. Any idea what?"
Sirius shrugged. "Maybe he's ill. I'll go by his place when we get back. Peter'll meet us at the Cauldron. Ready to go?"
"All set. But I see that you haven't quite finished cleaning up," Remus said accusingly.
"I'll finish it up tomorrow," his friend said with a grin, and Remus knew that the job will not be done. He groaned inwardly. His theory that messiness was Sirius' rebellion against his mother became weaker by the second.
"Let's go."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diagon Alley was full of people as always. Since it was the summer holidays, it was even more packed because of hundreds of little children who were brought there by their parents for a day of shopping or simply strolling along, eating ice-cream. It was a fine, warm summer day, and it seemed as though there was nothing dark going on at all in the world. But that was just what Diagon Alley was to people - a sort of safe haven where they could forget about the Dark Lord at large, the killing, the mysterious disappearances and everything that came in between.
Children were laughing, women were discussing latest fashions inside shops and men discussed politics. Sometimes it was the other way around.
The three Marauders started their school shopping all right - starting with Madam Malkin's (Sirius was in desperate need of new robes as he had shot another inch during the summer and Remus needed to have his modified since he had lost a few pounds during that same period of time), then replenishing their Potions' stock at the Apothecary, but they never made it to the Flourish and Blotts for their new books, as the way there went by Quality Quidditch Supplies, and owing to the fact that the new Nimbus 1500 was launched only the month before.
That was where Peter and Sirius stopped. And refused to budge for the next hour or so, despite Remus' increasingly desperate attempts to disengage them from the display window. Finally, disgruntled, but thanking Merlin that James had not come along for then they would surely have spent there the entire day, he told them he would come for them later and made his solitary way to Flourish and Blotts.
He spent there a good half hour before he decided it was time to try and get the two other Marauders away from Quality Quidditch Supplies. His growling stomach told him it was high time to have lunch and he would not let a stupid shop stand between him and his meal. Hungry werewolves were not the most pleasant people around.
As he walked down the street his mind wandered back to James. His behaviour had been decidedly unfriendly, but Remus did not think he was even aware of that. It was as though as soon he had said his goodbye it completely disappeared from his mind that one of his best friends was trying to speak with him. It was as though he forgot he was speaking to Remus at all. James, even when in the middle of something important, was always polite and careful of what he said (except when addressing Snape or any other obnoxious Slytherin, but that was beside the point), something hammered into him since very small. It was just… so uncharacteristic of him.
He wondered if perhaps James was really ill as Sirius had guessed. Perhaps it was some sort of magic malady that he did not know - or perhaps something hereditary.
He was so deep in thought that he at first did not realize someone was calling out to him. Only on the third, or possibly fourth, attempt he noted his name being called.
"Remus!"
The young man turned to face the direction from which the call had come, to see Lily waving at him from the ice-cream parlour. She had her red hair in a messy ponytail and was in the process of finishing a huge portion of chocolate ice-cream. Next to her were Haley and Wren. Wren was looking much better than she ever had, her normally pale face tanned and her eyes glowing healthily. Haley was just smiling.
"Hello, girls," he greeted once he approached them. "Shopping for school?" There were many bags surrounding the table next to which they were sitting.
"We were just going to make it a girls' outing, but since Rowena's at home, sick, and Keira suddenly contacted Wren by floo this morning to tell her that she can't come - we've decided to make the best of it and do our shopping while we were at it," Lily replied easily enough. She seemed very excited.
"Where are the other three?" Haley asked as she scraped the remnants of strawberry-butterbeer ice-cream from the bottom of her bowl. "Not too usual seeing the four of you separated."
Ignoring the slight sting, Remus shook his head. "Sirius and Peter are drooling over the latest broomstick back in the Quidditch place and James couldn't come. It's just the three of us here. I was actually on my way back from Flourish and Blotts to drag the troublesome twosome away for lunch." For emphasis, he showed them his bookshop paper bags. "So I'll be on my way now. Hope you've enjoyed your vacation…"
He started turning to leave, but Lily called, "Wait a second, Remus. I actually wanted to ask you something. I... umm… Well, I was chosen Head Girl - got the badge last week, in fact - and I was wondering… did you get Head Boy? Only I think you're the only possible choice."
Though Remus feigned a look of surprise at the news, he was not really all that shocked. The other three female Prefects in their year did not have between them half the brain Lily Evans had, nor her dedication and passion for the job. She had been the only possible candidate.
"Congratulations!" he said sincerely. "But I'm afraid that I must disappoint you, Lily. I'm still a Prefect, but Dumbledore did not see fit making me Head Boy as well. I do hope Snape will not get it - or it might become a bit tricky for us Gryffindors. I'll see you on the train then, shall I?"
"Yeah," Lily said, though Remus could see that her heart was not in it. She was too worried as to who would be her partner for the next year, which was understandable. Waving goodbye at the other girls, he started once again walking down the street and to where two of his friends were happily ogling said latest broomstick.
"Come on, you two," he said, taking hold of their shirt collars and dragging them away. "Time for lunch. I'm starving, aren't you?"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Despite the full moon being only three days before the beginning of seventh year, Remus could not quench the growing excitement he felt, mixed with a small touch of fear, at the fact that this was going to be his last year at Hogwarts. His last year of pranks and pure, undiluted fun. It gave him shivers just to think of it - whether it was of anticipation or of dread, he had no way of knowing.
As he bade his parents farewell on the platform one last time, he decided that no matter what will come, for better or for worse, he will make sure that this year would be something to remember.
Ho-hum. Hope you liked this interlude of almost-only fun. And the reason for that is that we're going to have a little bit more angst again on the next chapter…
That said - what will be in the next chapter? I don't think I'll be ruining anything to anyone by telling you that it will be titled The Head Boy… 'specially since we all know who it's going to be ;) So! Next chapter: What is wrong with James? How will Lily react to the identity of the Head Boy? Will Sirius do something about Keira? (probably not…), and most importantly, what would be the Marauders' last start-of-term feast's prank?!
Hugs and kisses to all - and thank you for bearing with me!
-Star of the North