At first they all thought they landed outside again, which would have been a welcome relief considering the last time they'd been in open air it had not been a good night. This little clearing was dappled with light, the tree canopy just enough shade for them all to breath in the fresh air dancing about, the floor was soft spring grass that was at least a more tolerable landing than most places.
Peter knew better first though, as he seemed to have knocked over a wastepaper bin. Sirius had landed upside down against a stump, so he spotted a door for what it was instead of an oddly shaped bit of wood through a gap in the trees, and went over to pull it curiously, though it refused to open.
"Guess we're in Firenze's classroom," James said excitedly, twisting this way and that in the light, it really had been too long since they'd just lounged out by the lake. Even the last bit of fresh air they'd really had without having to worry about Moony had been a miserable time up in the owlery.
He waited only a moment more to appraise Evans one last time, but she was brushing furiously at her face and trying to pretend like nothing was wrong, and he could respect that. He summoned the book to him, and declared the chapter title.
Remus gave a slow, sarcastic clap at how proud he seemed of himself. "Congratulations Prongs, even Sirius could have made that leap in logic."
"I think calling it a leap is too kind," Peter grinned, "more like a hop."
Regulus busted out laughing in surprise, and he wasn't the only one. James and Sirius exchanged a fond smile as even Alice and Longbottom got a snicker at their expense, only Evans seemed to be trying to repress her smile, and she really wasn't trying that hard.
"I do wonder who the sneak will be though," Sirius said loudly with an exaggerated eyeroll for his 'hurt' feelings. "Maybe Harry? He can be pretty sneaky when he likes."
"You've won the last two bets, I'm certainly not going against you," Peter raised his hands up in surrender.
"A miracle in itself really, your luck must be changing for the better Padfoot," Remus grinned.
"I've got all the luck I need Moony," Sirius proudly declared.
James didn't even want to start reading as he watched, the book held loosely in one hand as he lazed back against a tree. He could have thrown himself to the ground and closed his eyes, and it really would be like none of this had even happened, they were all just laughing and ribbing at each other like old times.
Then Regulus came over and asked Peter for one of those sandwiches, and Sirius got that shifty look back in place and retreated slightly. It was better than him going and picking a fight like James would have thought he'd do by now, so even he couldn't deny things really were changing.
Someone finally cleared their throat impatiently, and he sighed deeply and sheepishly went back to the book, mostly aware there wasn't a real bathroom in here so he couldn't pretend this would go on forever.
It only took a quick conversation from Parvati and Lavender before Harry was being brought in here, and the place was pointlessly described again, but he read about Firenze with honest curiosity. Of the few centaurs they'd bothered to talk to in the forest, it was never very long, let alone getting on a first name basis with them.
"I was shocked there even were centaurs in the Forbidden Forest," Longbottom said casually enough. Not so loud as if he expected everyone to listen, but not quietly either, just chatting with Alice. "This really does sound unprecedented. I've read about them, and it's so rare for them to talk to humans really, let alone what's now going on at Hogwarts."
"I think we've all had more than enough of what he's read," Sirius huffed behind him, grabbing Remus' wrist and pulling him to the back of the classroom nearly out of sight. He knew he shouldn't now, but this wasn't an impulse he'd try to stop even when James did know, and it's not like he was going to have that conversation here. It could only be a good thing to keep Moony out of a fight as well, and otherwise distracted, he assured himself.
James sighed in exhaustion but let the two leave, it probably was best to put some distance there, even if Longbottom actually looked apologetic for a moment. That was new at least, but clearly their plan to seem more approachable to the others was at least going to be put on hold, if not trashed all together, considering recent events.
The lesson itself wasn't really that interesting, the same nonsense Trelawney had been going on about, but now even Firenze was instructing that this was all theoretical and unpredictable. At least he was honest about his hogwash.
Sirius seemed to at least like the idea though and had to jump nearly twice his height, but finally caught a low hanging branch, and when he came down with it, they were now all glinting in starlight instead.
James made a chuffed noise at the idiot and repositioned to get the book in some better light so he could keep going.
The end of the class came with some sort of new details on Hagrid's issue this year, and he'd saved this centaur from his own heard in the meantime. He sighed and glanced back, but Sirius and Remus were now completely hidden in shadows, and Peter and Regulus were having their own whispered conversation about Hagrid's newest 'attempt.'
He could have joined them, it's not like there was anything really stopping him, just the odd idea in general of talking to Sirius' little brother. He chanced a glance at Evans again, but she was clearly still in no mood to talk to anyone. She'd sat herself in a patch of sun, but even now that it was stars shining down she just kept fidgeting with her hair, her knees still to her chest. At least it hid her red rimmed eyes better.
When he tried to keep going and talk just turned to OWL's, he pushed away his misgivings. This was just getting ridiculous, and James Potter did not mope. He strode over and plopped himself down beside the two as Peter was saying, "and it was this gray centaur with a beard as long as Dumbledore's, and we'd caught him at a bad time cleaning his hooves so he was really short with us and-"
"That's the centaur story you went with?" James scoffed at him. "How about the time we saw this pinto one that must have been out hunting, and when he spotted Moony, he shot an arrow at him; and I do mean Moony. So he growls a warning and rears up right, all eight feet of him, and-"
"Excuse you," Regulus scowled. "It's sort of rude to be interrupting one story with another, isn't it?"
James scowled right back. "You'd know all about etiquette."
Peter cleared his throat softly and gave James a beseeching look, and he huffed. He didn't understand why Peter was clearly trying to hide a smile, maybe Sirius' little brothers idiocies was rubbing off on him. "It was a boring story," he added petulantly. He'd never gotten to tell any werewolf stories before, and this one involved both, why should Peter get all the fun?
He didn't want to pick another fight with Wormtail though, especially not over something so stupid, so took his obvious hint of eyeing the book and kept going.
At least their coming OWL's weren't forced into his consciousness long, as instead talk turned to Dumbledore's Army, and Harry teaching them all the Patronus charm!
"I've meant to yell at you about this for ages," Evans' voice sounded a little shotty, but it got better as she easily directed at him with that old irritated tone again. "You lot lied! All four of you can produce a patronus, can't you!" Nobody really wanted to be reminded of their time in Azkaban enough to bring it up before now.
"Yep," James' tone reached an impressive level of smug as he looked at her. "There's been studies done on the correlation of animagus' and patronus' and we all did them before hand to see. Would have been pointless doing all that work just to not get any good animals from the bunch."
"I've never heard that," Regulus sounded genuinely curious as he looked from him to Peter.
"McGonagall got us onto the idea," Peter nodded, "we were asking her some questions about the whole thing and if there was any way to tell-"
"As subtly as possible of course," he interrupted with a smirk.
Peter rolled his eyes but kept going, "and she mentioned it, seemed happy to actually have a reason for us hanging back in class for once without issuing a detention."
"That's really cool," Regulus actually grinned, and he didn't look half as pompous as usual while doing so. He got to his feet, took the precious time to brush the grass from his pants, but drew his wand and tried again.
Like before though, it came out very bright and solid, but still vanished before it could solidify. Regulus huffed in frustration and glared at his wand like it had done him a great personal harm.
"It really does take a lot of practice and concentration, not just one burst of energy," Peter happily coached. "You have to really feel the happy emotion you're going for, and keep it in mind for a long stretch of time-"
"We only did it around dementors that one time," James uneasily agreed, "and that was the hardest it's ever been. It still took us months of effort."
Regulus still looked annoyed every time James spoke even when he was agreeing with Peter now, but the other three all gave it goes again, with the same results as last time to all of their agitation.
Remus and Sirius finally came back over to grace them with their presence much to his relief. They looked like they'd been chasing each other around back there, a twig was even stuck in Sirius' hair and they looked a little flushed even in the dim lighting, but when they saw what was going on they looked almost pleased enough not to go running off again.
Sirius made his dog appear with pride, and it went bounding around everyone just as smug as its castor, even darting right through Longbottom before stopping at his feet once more before vanishing.
Remus just rolled his eyes at the display and quickly asked him to keep going, though James understood why, Moony hated showing off his wolf patronus and he didn't want anyone to ask for it.
As several students guardian animal was described, Regulus leaned very close to Peter so Potter couldn't hear and whispered, "if you don't tell him to stop that, he never will."
"He doesn't mean anything by it," Peter sighed. His heart stumbled unevenly though as he thought about it again, it had only started annoying him recently, he was used to not getting a word in edge wise with those two loud mouthed idiots, but if he did just keep letting them do it would the resentment return?
They all stopped their own little tasks as if a dementor had showed up anyways though, when Dobby came in and delivered the news they'd all feared since the beginning. She knew.
Alice and Frank sat up abruptly, their wands in hand and an almost terrifying look in place. Harry had gone so long without a detention, and the mark had still been mentioned to be on his hand. Would they now forever have to picture Neville the same? He'd been doing so well, they didn't even get to hear what his animal would be!
Lily scowled and wished for the millionth time she could blow that woman up as Harry had once done to Marge and send her into the stratosphere, they were learning for crying out loud! And now these kids were running for the lives!
James looked as if he were reading the death of a dear friend as his son was forced to abandon his group and make a run for it, but not fast enough. He couldn't sit still as Umbridge began hauling him off, though at least it was to the headmasters office rather than her own for another round of torture.
He was pacing in frustration and kept kicking a nearby bush on his path as he went through the rest of the other unexpected guests to this, the Minister and Percy were back! Along with two aurors?! Just what was going to happen to his son, were they really going to haul him off to Azkaban for this!
At least one of them was Kingsley, and Mcgonagall was there too, it couldn't be that bad, right?
It got almost that bad. They couldn't even laugh at the expense of the girl.
"I found our sneak," Sirius said viciously as Marietta was dragged in, James was almost in a flying temper for Harry having no way to talk himself out of this because someone in his group ratted him out.
Then he winced at his own choice of phrase and glanced at Peter, who was ducking low and trying to pretend he wasn't even there even as his fists kept tensing up in frustration for this situation same as them.
The Marauders were all trying to move past that instance now, but it was of some comfort to Sirius if Peter did still blame himself. He just wasn't sure how to tell him it was okay to forgive, but not forget, he was still working on that himself.
Remus was distracted enough though when Dumbledore got a new animal association, a scapegoat! What was he doing, pinning the whole thing on himself? He half wished James was just making all this up as Marietta began actually confirming the story, and Fudge sent Percy off to get orders ready to send Albus Dumbledore to Azkaban!
Dumbledore at least kept his head better than James was, who kept cursing fluently at this in between reading to nobodies protest, as he dispatched anyone who dared raise a wand against him, made one last cryptic remark to Harry about those merlin-awful occlumency lessons, and left in style.
HPHPHPHPHP
The others aren't ever going to be able to do patronus' in fic, I'm really not trying to make these guys all elite students who can do anything and the DA was apparently practicing since January to get this far, it's mid-March in the books when this happens, so here's what I imagine their patronus' would have been-
Lily- Adder Snake/ Until she fell in love with James, then the Doe
Alice- Elephant/ Thesteral
Frank- Kangaroo Mouse/ Thesteral
Regulus- Lion (think Scar)
Personal headcanon on top of these headcanon picks, none of their patronuses' would have taken shape even if they had been practicing long enough to do them, because they're all in the most in between moments of their life. Their animal can't form, because they're not even sure of who they are right now.
Last thing of note, I imagine Neville's is a honey badger. Let me know your thoughts on all of these, especially if you disagree and imagined different animals for any of them!