The house was dimly lit, very old, and had seen better days before the eight of them crash landed in here.
Sirius was thrown so bodily into an old couch he felt something snap inside of it.
James crashed upon a bed that spit up on an unseemly amount of dust.
Remus slammed against a bookshelf so hard, it wobbled dangerously, like it was all going to crash down right on top of him.
Peter landed alone, in a dingy room that had the nearest excuse for a bed in a corner, the book on top, and that was it.
Alice was in some sort of wine cellar that clearly had the most use, judging by all the missing bottles on the rack.
Frank was thrown so hard against a door his nose busted.
Regulus found himself in a barren backyard, in an unfamiliar neighborhood, spotting a dirty river that wound between overgrown, rubbish-strewn banks. An immense chimney, relic of a disused mill, reared up, shadowy and ominous. There was no sound apart from the whisper of the black water.
Lily landed on the roof, and was not inclined to come down when she recognized a horribly familiar house in the distance with a cat weather-vane, that patch of trees behind the park just across the street, or the sign at the end declaring this is as Spinners End.
Frank blinked the spots out of his eyes as he realized he was in the room with Remus, and made a valiant effort not to flinch and run from the room as he fumbled for his wand in the semi-darkness and pointed it at his own streaming nose silently casting the spell, still trying to blink the stars away.
He wasn't entirely convinced he'd managed to hide it all, but it was still better than screaming. At least they were both saved from any stilted conversation by a shouting from behind the bookcase he'd landed in, Peter demanding if anyone could hear him.
Frank and Remus moved in tandem without even looking at each other, both tapping the bookshelf first, but whatever spell they'd tired had no affect, so giving it a shove, and still it didn't seem to want to move.
Sirius roused himself from the couch, shaking his hair out of his face as he went over and called, "stand back Pete!"
Frank looked at him in confusion. "What are you-"
Remus grabbed the back of his robes and pulled, pushing Prongs back into the room he'd just tired to leave from and slamming the door behind the three of them.
There was a soft, muffled exploding noise that seemed to shake the whole house, but at least when seven of them converged back in the living room, it was to see the two of them waving smoke out of their face and bickering.
"Could have killed me you arse!" Peter was huffing as he brushed dust from his long ruined clothes.
"What, I got you out didn't I?" Sirius pointed out in exasperation. The bookshelf lay in a scattered mess around them like a war map.
"Remind me never to get rescued by him again," Frank muttered quietly to Alice, who snorted in surprise at him making such a dark joke.
"Where are we?" James interrupted the two, circling curiously on the spot.
Remus went over to a mounted wall light and flipped it on, but the bare bulb only cast the corners of the room into heavier shadows and illuminated their destruction upon arriving. There was an empty mantle, and Regulus knew there to be a very tiny kitchen he'd passed through to get in here, with a few muggle contraptions he couldn't recall what they were called, but he'd seen back in the Dursleys house, if lesser models in here.
"Hey, where's Lily?" Alice asked in concern.
Regulus had spotted a hint of her flashing red hair on the roof, but she'd sat herself down, and he figured she'd be in here by now if she wanted to be so obviously didn't want to be disturbed. "Well, I don't hear anyone else screaming for help, so let's get on with this." He summoned the book to him, which came shooting out of the room that had been behind the bookcase.
Frank thought him a bit more of an arse than usual, he'd thought they'd almost been getting along back in the Weasley's kitchen, and he really didn't care? The end of the last chapter wasn't that pressing of an issue to keep going! The chapter title illuminated no explanation. Seen and Unforeseen? That could mean almost anything!
He and Alice went in search of the house one more time with a thorough inspection but only found more dust and disuse, and then went out back just to make sure, but finally spotted her on the roof, just sitting up there and gazing into the distance.
The two exchanged an uneasy look, feeling almost bad now they'd forced their company on her back in the last place, but they also didn't want her to have to go through this alone. Snape was still being more of an arse than ever in those Occlumency lessons, and it was clearly getting to her. They didn't know what else to say though, they'd made it as clear to her as they could they still wanted to be friends to her whatever her decision regarding him, and if she didn't want to talk about it in the meantime they could hardly force her.
They went back inside, holding hands and hoping their friend knew she could join them when she was ready.
The chapter itself wasn't offering much in the meantime, Hermione was patiently explaining exactly how Harry's date was a disaster with Cho in almost painful detail. Alice watched James in particular during this to see if he was bothering to take notes, and to her unbelievable surprise he seemed to be.
Remus and Sirius were behind him, whispering and snickering more bad advice they hadn't managed to say during the last bits, but Potter was ignoring them and watching Regulus with an intent expression and still looking around hopefully like he wanted to catch a glimpse of somebody else's red hair besides the arriving Ginny and Ron.
Frank had the vague impression he'd pay Hermione to invent said book, 'Translating Mad Things Girls Do So Boys Can Understand Them.' "Have I ever mentioned how much I love you," he told his girlfriend seriously. His nerves had been a havoc convincing himself to ask her out, but it had practically been smooth sailing from there.
"I certainly never grow tired of hearing it," she giggled.
"Well Ginny at least gets better with every mentioning," Sirius perked up in delight at hearing the news she stole her brothers brooms for practice. He had no idea what Prongs saw in Evans, the girl was a nut not even liking the sport. "Don't be getting ideas though you little shit," he added quickly when Regulus gave him a curious look.
Regulus huffed and muttered something about having his own broom thank you as he kept going.
Another game came and went, this time with Harry completely in the stands having to watch as his replacement Seeker spotted the Snitch slower than he would have, the whole miserable experience capped with the score and they were all wondering now if Ron would ever manage to save a goal.
"Honestly, I think I'd just let him quit out of pity after that," Peter winced, he'd take giving up with dignity instead of another fiasco.
"Oh come on, he's got it in him," James bolstered at once, his eyes lighting in excitement. "There's totally a way to fix this problem! First you put one person in the stands until Ron could easily ignore that person no matter what they said or did, and then keep adding people until Ron could block them all out. I don't care how long it took, I'd find a way so that Ron would never let someone get the better of him like this."
"Cheers Prongs," Sirius mock raised a glass at him to everyone's stunned silence except Sirius it seemed. "You're a shoe in for captain next year."
"I'd better be," he nodded, and they couldn't even blame him for the pig-headed tone.
Peter sighed and took an uneasy step back as Remus just laughed in agreement. He swore they'd only liked him before because they'd shared a dorm with him so long, it's not like he was anything like them. He'd made a fool of himself in Keeper tryouts at the beginning of the year trying to get onto the team, and he certainly hadn't blamed the current captain for picking the younger player who saved all of her goals rather than his measly three. Both James and Sirius had promised at the time they'd come out and practice with him for next year even as a reserve player, but of course nobody had seemed to have time for that.
Regulus had watched the entire thing, debating whether he should say something, but Peter just shook his head and waved him on.
Sirius had watched the exchange, and had to bother his mind for several moments as talk left Quidditch and Harry was assaulted by owls for his article in the Quibbler getting released earlier than usual before finally remembering and guessing what must be bothering Peter now.
He winced, just a bit. It's not like they'd done it on purpose, he could have come down to Quidditch practice any time with them but usually stayed up in the dorms with Remus, it's not like Peter had ever brought it up himself again.
He still wanted a way to talk to both of them, but was drawing a blank as to how. Percy wrote the most obnoxious letter possible, he accused himself, you can just go over there! It was easier said than done though, some part of him was still afraid they'd just turn on him again, what the hell was he supposed to do to convince himself otherwise, let alone them.
"I guess that explains the seen part of the title," Remus interrupted his grumbling thoughts with an uneasy smile. "Now what do you suppose the unforeseen bit will be?"
"Some more madness to do with Trelawney I'm sure, that old bat can't foresee the weather," Sirius shrugged without care. He was getting vaguely annoyed watching Peter and Regulus take a few more steps back and start whispering about all the reactions to that article being mailed to Harry, but again he couldn't find any good reason to snap at the two for a moment. He wished he could drag Moony off for a snog, just for something to entertain them, but even if he was trying to consciously stop doing that for now so Prongs wouldn't think he was being ignored, he didn't trust this place enough anyways.
The two of them stopped in outrage as much as anyone though when Harry was banned from Hogsmeade by Umbridge because of this.
"That rotten creampuff needs to have her tounge cut off!" James spluttered in disgust.
"At least Harry doesn't have to follow that decree," Peter reminded grimly, "but I'll get the knife."
Frank and Alice watched as this was clearly the most insulting thing she could do to the Marauders, even if they would have ignored this and every other rule from her as thoroughly as they already did to every other in the castle.
It was of some comfort to Regulus at least that Umbridge's plan to ban the article at least backfired and the whole school found themselves reading it, he certainly enjoyed that part.
Things just continued to spiral downwards from there, as Harry had yet another vision of You-Know-Who torturing someone, though at least this time it was another Death Eater rather than someone they had to care about. Regulus was shivering in revulsion by the end, almost in tears as he kept picturing himself in that future still rather than Rookwood if he didn't find some way to talk his parents out of this when he got back. He wasn't like Sirius, he couldn't just run off to someone's house and expect to be taken in if his parents kicked him out for it!
Sirius nearly went to him then, his feet even began moving unconsciously to do it, Regulus looked miserable and wretched as he read that and clearly his worry about Regulus thinking this would never happen to him was wrong, but then Peter put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and whispered something just for the two of them. Sirius stopped cold and leaned back on his heels instead, they really didn't need him to make it worse if he tried to help.
James listened to it all while having to fight off a scream, he couldn't just come up with a plan for his son on how to casually combat this madness continuing to happen to him! He was nearly screaming and jumping on the spot in outrage as Snape still managed to make the whole experience worse during that next Occlumency class, all but confirming his job as a spy Death Eater, but for whose side he still couldn't trust.
He wished Evans was back down here more than ever, he'd love to watch her in particular to see how she took to him still insulting Harry every other breath after torturing his mind like this!
Something new happened on the next round though to break him out of his revere, and none of them were sure what would happen when Harry cast some kind of retaliation back from Snape's curse, in the form of Protego.
A girl was laughing as a scrawny boy tried to mount a bucking broomstick, and the Marauders felt a thrill of laughter at remembering this as their first flying lesson, and the idiot had done all that to himself, the girl had been Mary Macdonald, but everyone present had been laughing, even Evans would swear she hadn't been despite her twitching lips as she'd pulled him away back to the castle while Hooch had gone after the wayward broom when he landed.
A greasy-haired teenager sat alone in a dark bedroom, pointing his wand at the ceiling, shooting down flies, and Sirius sneered at Snape being such an awful person. He clearly knew the feelings of being alone then, but the idiot wasn't any good at making friends to fix the problem. He didn't even like Evans and he still pitied her having to deal with Snape.
*And then suddenly the last memory was being described, and they all felt a shot of horror as this very room was described, and a hook-nosed man was shouting at a cowering woman, while a small dark-haired boy cried in a corner...
"Oh shit," James muttered, turning crazily on the spot for who knew what, before bursting out of the back door so loud he almost startled Lily off the roof.
She'd been listening with a tightly knit stomach that ached so bad during the whole chapter she wished she could expel all of her intestines with a very particular potion in mind even before it had gotten to Snape's memories, then she'd contemplated jumping from the roof and barging in to stop all this before it went past that first memory.
She had no choice though, she knew that she couldn't save Sev from them hearing about this anymore than she could rescue Harry from the way he was treated. She still hadn't been expecting Potter to come thundering from the house and looking around wildly before spotting her up here.
She didn't know what he meant by it either when he gave her a long, beseeching look, before just sitting down in the grass and waiting out here patiently with her. He didn't apologize, try to get up there with her, or do much of anything besides that.
Her arms finally loosened their tight grip around her knees just a smidge, even she wouldn't deny to herself she felt just a tad bit less alone now just for his presence. She couldn't hear what the others had to say about this, still honestly didn't want to know what that explosion and all the general shouting that had been going on inside was.
She'd never have shared all she knew of Sev's home life with them if given the chance, he'd never even really told her, but she'd suspected it was something like this with the crude comments he made, particularly about his dad.
He'd sneak over to her window when it was a bad night, just like she would go to his when Petunia said something particularly vile, and they'd go hide out in their spot until they'd talked and laughed and it was bearable enough to go back.
Didn't he remember all that when he was being the same abusive arse to Harry? Did he care at all for how it would make Neville feel to be reduced to tears when he nearly had so many times? Did he find more comfort with those cruel friends who offered to torture muggles instead of her commiserating, was that why he wouldn't stop talking to them?
Regulus Black finally kept going, and she knew nor cared what their resolution to this revelation had been, she just wanted to shake Severus and demand answers why he was like this as he just vindictively ignored the whole instance like his past meant nothing to him and turned his wand on Harry again.
Her son found himself in You-Know-Who's mind once more, longing to break past that locked door, and for once managing such a thing and finding himself in the circular room of doors they'd already seen once before. Hot tears spilled out of her cheeks as he just insulted him again for not trying hard enough, as if it weren't her eyes in Harry's face that was begging for help to make this stop. Harry hadn't asked this happening to him anymore than Severus had ever purposely induced Tobias' anger.
Then a scream interrupted before the torturer could go any farther, and the two left it for the night to see what other catastrophe had befallen the castle. Lily bit down hard on her lip to stop a sob of relief escaping it was over again, for now.
The distressed person turned out to be Trelawney screaming over the fact she was finally being given her pink slip by a woman who needed to be buried alive in the color.
Umbridge was somehow even more revolting than usual as she glorified in the Divination teachers dismissal, while a crowd of students could only stand there and watch the poor woman's life get thrown down the stairs.
Lily glanced down and saw Potter's look of disdain for the very same, and she wanted to scoff he thought himself better when he had an audience to most of his shows. He embarrassed and tormented others for his own amusement just like Umbridge. She stopped the thoughts cold though as she imagined what Harry would think of this, and forced herself to really hear her own mental tirade, she knew she was still angry at Severus and lashing out.
James Potter was an arrogant toerag who did whatever for his own amusement, but he'd never driven anyone to tears, let alone stand proudly above the scene of his crime. If the person their prank was used on didn't laugh along, he usually just took the detention with grace and didn't target the same person again. If the curse he'd sent left someone unable to get to the hospital wing, he'd almost inevitably do it himself, if not one of his friends slinking off to go find somebody who would while he took the detention with a smile.
He was an arse, but he wasn't curel, not like Umbridge was until Dumbledore stepped in and stopped the show.
She sighed one last time as she kept looking back on the past five years of her school life with a giant question mark plastered over everything, one she wasn't convinced even a centaur for a teacher could help unravel.
HPHPHPHPHP
*Just so you all know I'm acknowledging it and it's not a mistake, I did do the memories in reverse order that they actually appeared in the story for my own benefit.