School Days

Moony

JK's characters… blah blah blah.

Thanks for all the critiques and comments. Yes I know that Arthur is way older than the Marauders, a lot of you kind reviewers have pointed that out. I know this. It doesn't matter though, in this story, since Arthur is just a minor, static character. I can't always follow facts and things that aren't stated right in the book so just bear with me. And yes, Lily is bratty, because, she's trying to make new friends. Some people will be what they aren't to make friends to fit in. That's what Lily's doing now. Don't worry, she'll become nicer! Just wait and let her settle in! –Moony

Chapter 4

The next morning was a Monday. Arthur was already gone. Remus awoke and pulled back his curtains. A loud bulldozing sound could be heard from the bed next to him – in which Sirius was sleeping in. Remus laughed and headed to the bathroom. Remus was an early bird. He loved the feeling of refreshment when he woke up bright and early when the sky was still blue. He opened the window softly and breathed in the morning air. Morning air always smelled fresh somehow. It was quiet in the morning, and the exhaust from Muggle cars didn't get into the air, so it felt cool and refreshing. He felt relaxed, but he was also feeling quite apprehensive. It would soon be full moon, and he had to be careful so his new friends would not find out. He had rehearsed the plan over and over. He would tell them his mother was sick, and he had to visit her. It was a reasonable excuse, unless they were extremely snoopy and suspicious, but Remus didn't think it would come to that. They would be good with it – he hoped.

He washed his face, brushed his teeth, and used some water to press down his hair. Remus never used gel. He didn't like how stiff it made his hair, and besides, water worked fine with his hair. He stepped outside, where James was awake, but groggy.

"'Lo James!" Remus said.

"Morning Remus…" James said, then yawned as he shuffled into the bathroom.

Remus went back to his bed and sat down to read quietly before James and Sirius woke up. There was a rustling, and he quickly slid the book under his pillow as the curtains of Peter's bed moved and opened.

"Hey…" he said groggily, "Am I the last one awake?"

"Nope," Remus said, pointing at Sirius's bed.

"Oh, good then…"

James came out of the bathroom and Peter went in.

"Ow!"

The sound came from the bathroom.

"Hey, you ok in there?" James asked.

"Yeah… I just… I just walked into a mirror."

James laughed, and Remus chuckled. Remus wasn't a big laugh-until-your-stomach-hurts person. He liked chuckles. Besides, he never felt anything so funny to make him laugh without stopping anyway. A chuckle was fine.

When the three of them were all dressed and ready, only Sirius was still sleeping like a log, oblivious to what was going on. They poked him and poured water on his head, but he slept on. Only Regulus would've known what to do, and the three didn't know the secret. But it was soon discovered, as James pulled the blanket off.

The three heard Sirius mumble,

"Go away Regulus."

"We're not Regulus, whoever he is. You're at Hogwarts Siri. Get up! We're hungry."

"What? Oh! What time is it? I'm hungry too!" Sirius exclaimed as he leapt out of bed.

"Chill mate. Go ahead and do your morning stuff. That's a really bad bed head by the way. Might wanna use some of my hair gel?" James teased.

Sirius didn't answer and walked into the bathroom. In ten minutes he was out, and the four headed down into the Great Hall.

"I wonder what food they got here?" Sirius asked.

"Judging by yesterday, really good food. But it's probably all cold now, because someone slept later," James said, nudging Sirius.

"Oh shut up. I'll bet they have magic to keep it warm for the late sleepers."

They sat down at the table, next to all the Gryffindor first years, who looked nervous but happy. Everyone was talking and eating, when the suddenly, the ceiling was full of owls.

"Ah, morning post!" James said happily, as his eagle owl swooped down.

"Hello Pegasus!" he said, and took the package from the owl's leg.

"A buncha Chocolate Frogs and beans from Mum and Dad. And a nice owl telling how proud they are that I got into Gryffindor. Not so bad, eh Siri?" he asked.

But Sirius was staring at a bright red envelope in his hands, already smoking in the corners. He frowned, then his eyebrows curved a tiny bit. A gleam came in his eye as he looked up.

"Run and open it!" James cried, "Before everyone hears it!"

Sirius didn't listen. He gave a triumphant smile and opened it, then threw it at the Slytherin table, where the voice screeched out to everyone (particularly loudly for the Slytherins, since the Howler had been thrown close to them).

"SIRIUS BLACK! NEVER HAVE I BEEN SO ASHAMED SINCE ANDROMEDA WENT TO RAVENCLAW! BUT GRYFFINDOR?! YOU SCUM! YOU VERMIN! HOW COULD YOU? PUTTING SHAME ON OUR PERFECT FAMILY TREE! WHEN YOU COME HOME, YOU JUST WAIT WHEN YOU COME HOME, YOU JUST WAIT!"

The Howler smoked, then burnt crisp. Sirius looked over at the Ravenclaw table and winked at Andromeda, who chuckled and turned back to her friends. Sirius smiled smugly, then began to eat his eggs.

McGonagall was walking down the row, handing out schedules to the Gryffindors.

"Yippee, Transfiguration today! Are you ready to have fun Sirius?" James asked.

"Oh yes," Sirius said, his eyes gleaming maliciously, "Lots of fun."

"McGonagall'll never have experienced anything like this!" James said.

"You wouldn't!" a voice exclaimed.

James perked up, "Evans!" he said happily.

"You wouldn't really mess up her lesson, would you? I thought it was just a joke when you said so on the train!" Lily said, taking a seat across from them, next to her new friend, Karina.

"Oh no Evans! Never would we do that! Why would we want to?" Sirius said sarcastically.

"I mean, McGonagall just never smiles," James added.

"She's waaaaay too strict."

"She needs a laugh."

"She needs cheering up."

"First years don't like professors like that."

"But we would never ever mess up a lesson!"

"Oh no… definitely not!"

The two burst out laughing. Lily pursed her lips.

"It's not funny. I want to learn Transfiguration, and I can't learn it, if you mess up a lesson."

"But we want to learn Transfiguration too Lilykins. We just want to have fun while we're at it!" James said.

"Fun? You think messing up a lesson will help you learn Transfiguration you want to learn?" Lily asked angrily.

"Well… unless… unless… unless you develop a teensy crush on me, maybe I'll…"

"In your dreams Potter!" Lily said flatly, then turned on her heel and left the Great Hall. Karina looked at the two boys.

"Black, she didn't even eat anything. Did you have to huff her off like that?" she asked.

"Well, Velveziean," Sirius mocked, "It wasn't entirely my fault. Potter here is to blame also."

"I'll bring her some toast," Karina said, rising, then picked up a stack of toast and headed out the door.

Remus was quietly eating bacon, his eyebrows arched. Remus had those funny kinds of eyebrows that could squiggle and arch so that it made you feel ashamed, somehow – except for Sirius and James. On the other hand, Peter was looking at Sirius and James as if they were the heroes who had saved Earth from aliens going to kill mankind and destroy everything and take over the planet and sell it to evil planet buyers who put slaves on the planets and made the world a dark place (A/N: I really don't know where that came from, but I like it :)).

Soon, they were headed of to Transfiguration. Sirius and James were plotting as they went, and Peter was listening eagerly, with bright eyes as he walked alongside his newfound heroes.

Remus finally interrupted and said, "Erm… don't you think you're overdoing it a bit?"

"Overdoing? Why dear Remie! Of course not! McGonagall needs a laugh. She'll thank us! Really, she will. Don't you worry about us though. If we get a detention, big deal. It's a stupid detention anyhow. There's ways to make detentions fun also…" Sirius said.

Remus did not say anymore. They walked down another corridor – though they did not recognize it at all.

"We're lost!" Peter wailed, "I knew it!"

"Don't worry, I'm sure the Transfiguration is just down this hall right here!" James said cheerfully, turning down the hall.

But he stopped abruptly, and his eyes suddenly gleamed the kind of gleam he got when a mad plot was going on in his head, or when he met someone fit to be a victim of his pranks. And right now, he saw just one victim.