Disclaimer: They belong to J.K. Rowling, not me. Believe me, if I owned them things would be much different.
Warning: Slash, as in male/male relationships. If this bothers you then please use that nice little back button. It's really barely there though.
There are four boys in their sixth year of Hogwarts. They are the trouble makers; the one's who shake things up. These are the self proclaimed Marauders.
Yet there is more to these boys than meets the eye. To the rest of the school they are the pranksters; always in trouble but loved by the teachers anyway. But there is another side to these troublemakers. Although they do enjoy a good prank, they are very intelligent and can be serious when they want to be. They also care very deeply about each other; two more than society deems normal. Another little known fact is that one is a werewolf and the other three have become Animagi to help him with his painful transformations.
James Potter is the ringleader, the planner, and the resident Quidditch obsessie. James has untamable black hair which until recently he was always trying to make messier. When one of the trusted Marauders finally told him how ridiculous it looked he stopped. His hazel eyes have a sparkle to them that is found in only the liveliest and happiest of boys and his passion for life is infamous. He's also been trying to get Lily Evans to go out with him for years.
Peter Pettigrew is the tag-a-long. He's a bit chubby, but not overly so. He has thick blonde hair with a set of watery blue eyes to match. He's the pleasant boy and people often go to him for comfort and a listening ear. Peter's not one of the most intelligent people you'll ever meet, but his passions bring out hidden strength and power.
Sirius Black is the tall, dark, and handsome one. His big blue eyes and ebony hair are enough to break a few hearts, but he's taken. No one knows about this relationship except for the other party involved, but they like their secret romance the way it is. Sirius cares deeply for his friends and hates his enemies with a passion. He can be brash and act without thinking which, along with his lust for danger, can have very bad results. Sirius never does things half way and when he gets an idea there's no stopping him.
Remus Lupin is the last of this raucous group. He has amber eyes and light brown hair that falls into his eyes just so. There are a few girls who would like to brush that hair out of his face, but that right is reserved by Sirius Black, Remus' secret partner. Remus is the one who actually pays attention in class (well most of the time) and is the optimist. He's the voice of reason and the serious dreamer. Although a prefect, he still loves mischief and has come up with some of the Marauder's best pranks. He is also a werewolf which gives him a tired look.
They all come from different backgrounds and have different viewpoints on certain things, yet a closer group of friends would be hard to find. They're sitting at breakfast in their usual places (James and Peter on one side and Remus and Sirius, probably a little closer than necessary, on the other) and plotting over their map.
The Marauder's map is probably their best invention ever. Although James has in his possession an invisibility cloak, they are having increasing difficulty fitting under it as the years pass by. One night after a particularly close call Remus decided that they needed a map that told them the locations of people and places in the school. Thus, the Marauder's map was born.
Now they are in the final stages of enchantment and things are looking good. "There," says Sirius as he casts one final charm, "done." They stare in wonder at this tool that they have invented. "Shall we test it tonight?" asks Sirius.
The others nod their consent and James, the excitement over, goes back to his favorite hobby: Lily watching. "Why won't she go out with me?" he complains. The others know exactly who he's talking about for he makes this statement every morning, sometimes twice.
This morning, however, is different. Remus answers, "have you tired honestly asking her and telling her how you feel instead of letting your ego take over?" James stares at him for a second then gets up and walks away. Minutes later he's back with a dazed look and an incredibly happy smile on his face. Remus smiles in a satisfied way and Sirius discreetly takes his hand under the table.
This morning will be the beginning of a wonderful and loving relationship, but James does not think of that now. Right now the only thought that is able to pass through his head is that he's finally going to have a date with the most wonderful (in his opinion) girl ever. The others are also happy for him because that is the type of friends that they are.
These are the Marauders. They are blissfully happy in their domain and contentedly unaware of the danger and cruelty of the world. Right now they are satisfied with just living in the moment and not thinking about the future. They don't know that in just a few short years they will be painfully torn apart. Life, for now, is good and they'll be damned if they don't enjoy it to the fullest.