What's this? Me posting on time? I hope your happy. Disclaimer: I don't own these lovely characters.
Second year: one of the most memorable years for the four boys. First year ended roughly with a depressing departure, the boys having to separate for the first time.
The summer between second year and first year was long and dreadful, each boy longing to get back to one another. James was at home for the summer, enjoying the Chudley Cannons. Sirius was trapped with the emotional disaster that was his parents' love. Peter took care of his mother, who refused to acknowledge his existence. And Remus sent letters to everyone, finding it easier than waiting in silence.
September 1st rolled around on a humid, rainy Friday. The Potters were once again late and James was seen hoping he would miss the train, not yet ready for Potions. Sirius had already found his seat next to Remus, in the same compartment that Black and Potter sat in on the first ride. While Peter was waiting outside the compartment for the flock of messy black hair.
Which appeared just as the whistle blew and the train lurched forward. The crooked smile met the excited stumpy boy. They quickly slipped in, Peter catching James up on the platform actions that had occurred.
James's bags were shoved above him before he slumped into the uncomfortable red benches, the cushion doing nothing to ease him. Black and Remus watched quietly, an unusual occurrence of Sirius not talking. Don't worry it was short-lived.
"This is our year." The silence in the room lasted a second before a cacophony of laughter responded to the statement.
"Sirius, mate, we're only second-years. Our year will be like fifth-year or seventh." James choked out between his fits of laughter. Sirius rolled his eyes at the rejection of his idea.
"Fine but we at least need to accomplish something, like a huge prank." James in response smiled slyly. Remus even smirked even though his attention was on his book.
The train ride was just like the year before aside that now it was the four of them taking turns and making jokes. They four ate a collection of twenty chocolate frogs (majority eaten by Remus), five boxes of Berties Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and sixteen Pumpkin Pasties.
Once the majestic castle came into view they all shuffled into their robes and watched the rolling hills turn into the Hogsmeade station. The boys peered at the young first-years, the awe-stricken faces reminding them of their first time seeing Hagrid.
Their attention however was turned when they realized they didn't go where the first years do. The group followed the crowd to find black carriages lead by nothing. Well, nothing for three of them.
James looked at the creatures, the skin dried and gross. The horses were not horses at all but thestrals, sure they were a type of horse but their looks were horrifying to James. The reptilian features and the skeletal wings protruding from its back. It sent a shiver down young Potter's back.
Peter noticed the shift on James's face, a look of horror taking place. Pettigrew also noticed the stop of movement along with the rest of the group. He swatted Sirius's arm who in return swatted Remus.
"James? You alright?" Remus genuinely asked as he peered upon his puzzled friend.
"What are those things?" Potter's eyes were glued to the thestral that only he could see.
"Carriages." Sirius snarkily replied, his head glued to where James's eyes rested.
"No horse things." He snapped back, a puzzled look then came to rest upon all of their faces. Remus and Peter exchanged a look before Peter spoke up.
"What horses?" Peter was looking from James to the air in front of the carriage. The night air met his eyes but no "horse things" were in sight.
"Thestrals, they only appear to those who have seen someone die." A croaky voice answered them. The four jumped a bit before meeting a skinny boy with green eyes and blond short hair.
"Oh." James answered back, his eyes seemed to have glazed over before returning to his cheery self.
His memories flashed back to his uncle. The untimely moment when his heart stopped and James panicked fearing he caused it. He didn't, his uncle had a heart attack but no one thought to tell the poor young child.
Sirius sent a puzzled look in Potter's direction before confronting the new boy. His hands were large and calloused when Sirius made him shake hands.
"Frank Longbottom," a chorus of snickers came from the group, "I'm a third-year."
They shut up, the boy may be just a year older than them, but that's still 365 days that he had on them. Which meant the boy was probably not afraid to get the four into trouble or report them. The only sign he wouldn't would be the Gryffindor cloak.
The call for the final carriages was said and the four boys got into one. Frank got into the one behind them, where three girls had already gotten on.
The four boys went on the ride with jokes galore. Remus even chipped into the laughter. Peter and Sirius exchanged pranks to play while Remus would tell them what was wrong with their plans. James would zone in and out of the conversation, his mind flicking back to his uncle's untimely death. Then another thought appeared: the vision of red.
He recounted the last time he saw Evans. It was after their final class and her showing him her insanely good grade, she left smiling like the luckiest person in the world. The smile left him with a bubbling sort of emotion and then she approached her friend Severus, whom the boys never were fond of. The green feeling inside of him boiling, so of course when she laughed with Severus, Potter turned his robes pink and hid behind a column with a laughing Black.
It wasn't his best prank but now all he could think about was how he could see that look again in Evans's eyes. The one where she acknowledged his existence, sure it wasn't a nice look but it meant he existed to her. Not that he cared if he was or not.
At this point the four were sitting in the Great Hall, snickering and teasing around. Turning random people's goblets into a variety of animals. Evans shooting daggers every once in a while, which only makes James's smile brighter. Peter caught note of that but had yet to spoil the realization of his crush. Although he did enjoy a good teasing about it when it's was just him and James.
The new first years came shuffling down the long aisle, their eyes darting around in the room in awe. To the four it felt like forever ago that they had entered the large hall. Admiring the magical atmosphere and gazing in wonder at the striking ceiling. Before they all became who they were now.
All eyes fell on the anxious children, the air was lighthearted unlike last year. Where a tension seemed to settle on their hearts. Now the dampening worry was gone as they sat comfortably in their chosen houses, feeling pride in where they were now.
The boys decided on sleeping in the actual second-year dorms this year, abandoning the older boys in favor of the new ones. However, the other boy in their room—Brad—decided to move after the first night. Decidingly not wanting roommates who would turn his toes into snakes while he slept.
After the first day, the connection between the four boys seemed to deepen. They were never separated. And if they ever did separate, it would always be two of the four together. The boys made a name for themselves, well the Gryffindors made the name for them.
Since the boys were known for roaming around and making trouble, the head boy called them the "Marauders". The name seemed to catch on with the prefects and head girl, and now anytime the boys would get caught, the poor rule keeper would be muttering, "It's the marauders again."
However even though the boys would get caught at least once a week, they had pranks going on twice a day. They jinxed several innocent people for their amusement. Finding no issue in embarrassing a poor soul.
The year carried on and the boys became renowned, the comedians of the school. Ghosts would avoid them in the hall, girls would look in their direction to watch the prepubescent teens in their youthful glory, and boys alike would try to join them. Failing of course.
One boy in particular was fond of them, but he never truly wanted to be a part of their group. He was very careful of his reputation and it would be terrible to sound like he was some child when he applied for auror training.
That man was Frank Longbottom, the boy that had 365 days on them. He helped the boys sneak around and sometimes would tell them of secret passages. He even gave the boys treats from Hogsmeade, now that he was allowed to go.
And the boys in return made him look good. Remus helped him study and they kept him in good cohorts. Remus tells teachers all about Longbottom's accomplishments, and reminded them how he always caught the boys in their act.
James and Sirius's relationship grew stronger and so did their grades. Remus would spend his days with Lily in the library, secretly. Studying up for tests, aiming for the top of class.
Remus was actually in good cohorts with Lily and her friends. Or what he thought was Lily and friends. The fact was that Evans wasn't truly their friend, she tagged along to talk to Remus. But the girls disliked the fact that she didn't spend time with them otherwise, instead finding Severus Snape's company more amusing.
In the tiny clique that we're "her friends" included the third years: Alice Fortescue, Marlene McKinnon, and Dorcas Meadowes. And two second years: Mary MacDonald and Emmeline Vance. These girls didn't make a name like the marauders, simply sticking to being good-natured fun girls.
However their friendship with Remus was kept very much on the down-low. The girls didn't want to spoil their spotless reputation, which for Marlene and Dorcas was already much too late, and the guys didn't want to receive a two hour lecture from James about his hatred for his obvious crush. Which Sirius would back him up on.
Lily would sometimes talk about James too. Her voice was absolutely filled with vehemence, no sound of secret admiration even hinted in her voice. She had an obvious disdain for the prideful boy.
Now and then Remus would try to boost James up, but literal minutes later, a victimized Severus would come crawling to Lily. James just couldn't help but further tease the greasy wizard. A certain aura radiated off the hook-nosed kid that made him want to prank the boy. The aura even radiated to Sirius.
The boys spent hours and days accomplishing their own aspirations and goals. James got onto the quidditch team as a seeker, Remus became a star student in DADA, Sirius but more detentions than school days, and Peter was getting As and Bs (thanks to the assistance of Remus.)
One humid autumn day, the falling red and beams of orange cascaded the pitch. Where a tired second-year seeker sat dead. His eyes were closed with wire-rimmed glasses askew. His nightly hair brimmed with specks of star-like sweat beads. The boy was too exhausted to notice the approaching three figures that chuckled down the field. Slowly approaching the lifeless blob.
"Potter! Get off your lazy bum and do my transfiguration homework." Sirius teased his sweaty pal, peering down at the gold and red uniform that clung loosely to his stickly friend.
James responded with a groan before flipping around. His body was sore from the relentless training his captain gave him. He missed his first snitch the other day and now the bloke thought that these relentless practices would make James less blind.
"Black, you know as much as I do that Potter would never do anybody else's homework." Remus spoke with a teasing voice directed at the already teasing Black. Black rolled his eyes before smacking his shoulder, Remus gave him a sly grin.
Peter knelt down next to James's head before twisting his head up to look at the others with a fake worried look. "I don't think the bloke's gonna make it. We might need to pull out the secret weapon."
A sinister grin took place on the other boys' face while James tried to make the boys disappear. At this point he'd rather have Snape talking to him than the boys' secret weapon, whatever that is. Then James took that back and scowled, Snivellus made him feel sour.
"Look, it's Snivellus!" Sirius quickly said under his breath, the words didn't rouse a reaction from Potter.
"And he's walking with Minnie!" Peter added on, nothing happened. The two boys exchanged confused glances before Remus added his part.
"And Lily is behind them both." He added quietly, a slight knowing smile on his face. Immediately James's eyes popped open and scanned the field, in search of flying red hair.
His eyes narrowed back at the boys who now were laughing at James. They all were hunched over and began to run away. James hopped up and chased them back to their dormitory.
Sirius hopped on James's four-poster bed and pointed at him. "You fancy Evans!" He shouted loudly. Peter laughed along, while Remus smirked, and James shushed the boisterous boy.
"I do not. And I'm serious." He responded with a little pout. He laid his body on his bed in their dorm.
"No, mate, I am." Another round of his howling laughter filled the air.
A few hours later when a peaceful silence had taken over the room. James's head was hanging off his bed, Sirius was lounging on Remus's bed where Remus was trying to study, and Peter was fiddling with his drawing kit.
Suddenly, James's face was bright red. His heart began to beat rapidly and the thought he had rejected became clear. The sudden emotion caused him to gasp with horror.
"Merlin's bloody beard. I fancy Evans."
The boys broke out in laughs. James sat up and hugged the corner pole of his bed, looking reminiscent of a princess. The unwelcome thought settled in his head and made him burn.
Second year didn't just end like that. They didn't win the quidditch cup nor the house cup—mainly due to the marauders endless pranking— but they made friends. They shared an abundance of emotions. Vengeance and tears, giddiness and laughter, love and hugs, emotions of all shades shining through the crisp golden early days.
Their lives shine through dark times. The grim future that raged ahead of them was yet to be discovered. Many things were yet to be discovered, many adventures were yet to be had. Their lives had just begun, their friendship almost fully developed.