As if things weren't going bad enough, something else happened. The whole school had found out that the Marauders hadn't spent the night in their beds, and everybody was wondering why. Where did they go?
Frank pressed Peter to tell him the reason, and the little boy made up a story that soon spread all over Hogwarts. He told his housemate that, the previous night, they had been going to the kitchens when they had seen Snape walking out of the Castle. James had decided to follow him, and he had managed to save the boy from a beast that had come out of the Forbidden Forest. It was a stupid lie, but everybody believed it.
After all, James was the handsome Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, and he was a Pureblood, and a Marauder. Snape, on the other hand, was a greasy, half-blood Slytherin who had no friends and who everybody despised. James, although unwillingly, became the hero of the situation. Snape, the ungrateful victim.
Students began complimenting the Gryffindor and telling the Slytherin he had been so lucky James had saved him.
Madeline could only imagine how furious Snape would be about that.
Two days had passed since the event happened, and Madeline knew she had to talk to him. She wanted to talk to him. The previous day, she hadn't seen him, for she had skipped lessons with James. That had costed them a fortnight of detentions with Professor McGonagall.
Remus had been dismissed from the Hospital Wing, and now looked better. But she knew he was deeply hurt. He loved Sirius, just like she did. But they couldn't forgive him. Not this time.
Madeline could see James already missed his brother. Yet, he was acting detached towards him. Only Peter didn't seem strong enough to be mad at Sirius. The two of them spent all of their time together.
Sirius, because he desperately needed a friend. Peter, because for once he could be Sirius's favourite person, the one he would refer to, the one he would tell his secrets to.
Madeline didn't mind Wormtail staying with him. Prongs and Moony did mind, on the other hand, but said nothing.
Deeply, they didn't want Padfoot to be completely alone. He had broken up with Marlene, they had been told. The news had shocked them. Why would Sirius leave his girl when he most needed her?
Apparently, Sirius had told Marlene he needed some time for himself because too much was going on in his life and he couldn't take care of her. At least, that was what Alice told Madeline.
Spring had certainly brought some changes in their lives.
It was breakfast, and Madeline was chatting with Remus, with her arm entwined with his. James was in front of them, reading The Daily Prophet. Sirius and Peter were sitting far from them.
Everybody in the school knew something had happened between the Marauders; it was very rare to see them standing apart. Everybody wanted to know what was going on. Yet, about this thing, nobody would find anything out. Alice and Lily had asked her several times why they were acting that way. But she couldn't tell them. She hated that. If only Lily had been James' girlfriend… But she wasn't.
"What are you thinking about?" asked Remus, pinching her.
She smiled, "Nothing, love." She replied. "I just don't want to go to lesson."
James raised his hazel eyes from the magazine. "Yeah, me neither. Yesterday's been amazing."
They guys in front of him shot him a shocked look.
James corrected himself, "Yeah I mean for the fact we didn't go to lesson! Everything else was just awful."
"It was" they agreed.
Remus sighed deeply. Madeline thought he looked extremely depressed. He had had some bad moments since she had met him. That wasn't good at all. The fact was: Moony tended to harm himself when he was depressed.
James and she were trying to keep him in check.
The girl raised a hand to move some hair away from his eyes. "Hey Moons, I was thinking we could ask Lily to lend us some more Muggle books. I miss reading one!"
He seemed to lighten up at that, "Yeah, why not? I think I may need something to distract myself."
"It's settled then" she said, and smiled. She was about to go on and say something about Jack Kerouac when Severus Snape entered the Great Hall. She hadn't seen him in days. The last time had been at the Three Broomsticks, when he had entered the pub with Lucius Malfoy.
He looked terrible. He was sickly pale, with dark circles under his onyx eyes, and he looked… Empty. He moved like he was one of the ghosts, like he wanted to be invisible. He didn't even raise his head. He directed towards the Slytherin table, and sat next to Mulciber.
Remus stiffened by her side. Madeline gave him a soft look. "I know" she whispered, "But he's alright. Okay? You did nothing bad."
"Mads, I-"
"Shut up, Remus. Don't make me start."
He nodded, then, and gave her a tiny smile. "I'm sorry."
James giggled after seeing the exchange. Then, he looked at Madeline. "Have you talked to him?"
She shook her head, "I haven't had the time. I'll do that, though. After breakfast."
"Right" he said, "Listen, about that gossip…"
"Not your fault, Prongsie."
James nodded, "Yeah. I want you to know that."
"I know that."
"Okay, then."
Remus sighed, "What are you going to tell him, Mads?"
"To whom?"
He gave her a knowing smile, and murmured, "Come on, you know."
The girl sighed. "I am so angry with him that I don't know. But he betrayed me."
Remus was surprised by her reaction. "You know Sirius provoked him."
"Yeah, but I asked him not to try and find out about your secret. And what did he do? The exact opposite. I can't trust a boy who puts hatred in front of any other feeling. It just doesn't feel good to me."
Remus nodded, "I understand, Mads, but… Don't do it because you think I expect you to do it."
Madeline smiled at him. "I don't think that, Moons. But thank you anyway." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and raised from her seat. "See you later, boys?" she said, then, looking between James and Remus. They both nodded, and she walked right up to the Slytherin table. The snakes looked at her, but she didn't care. Mulciber was about to say something, but she spoke first. "I don't care about you, so save your breath. Severus, I need to talk to you."
The Pureblood shot her an angry look. "Another filthy Gryffindor's going to save you, Snape?"
Severus stiffened at that, and shot him a threatening look. Madeline was about to reply to Mulciber's words, but Severus stood up and started walking out of the Great Hall. She sighed deeply and followed him.
"Where are you going?" she asked him when she noticed he wouldn't stop.
He shrugged, "I know you want to end it. Let's do it where it all began."
Madeline knitted his brows, and halted in her steps. "Severus, I'm not in the mood of playing games."
He turned to look at her, and there was rage in his eyes. "Ah, so you want to dump me in a shabby corridor? Like I mean nothing? Can't we at least talk where nobody will hear us, or is it too hard for you?"
Madeline crossed her arms. "What the fuck's going on with you? You fucked up everything, and now you're mad at me?!"
Severus walked up to her, and she took a step backwards. "Follow me." He said. "I don't want the others to hear us." He continued, lowering his voice. "Please" he added, though he sounded forced.
Madeline looked into his onyx eyes. They were really impossible to read.
She nodded. "Alright."
He said nothing, and started walking towards the stairs. She followed him.