It was dark and stormy. Lightning was flashing and thunder boomed in
the distance. The late night had come upon the tower, sending many to
sleep. However, there were four boys who could not do so. They sat, in
four plush chairs, next to a roaring fire which was ablaze in
Gryffindor common room.
"All right Remus. All we have to do is sign it?" James pushed his glasses up and looked at his friend.
"Yes. Just point at it and say the name. Remember, they have to be completely coded." Remus bit his finger, deep in thought.
"HEY!" Shouted Sirius. "We're all Animagus!"
"Shhhhhhhhh!" James smacked him upside the head.
"Ow. Yeah" Sirius lowered his voice."So, lets use codenames with our animals?" He looked at the other three, waiting for a response.
Peter jumped excitedly in his seat. "I get to be Rat-Man!" He grinned maliciously.
Remus sighed. "Wormtail it is, then." He pointed at the map and said, "Wormtail." The name magically appeared at the bottom of the map.
Peter opened his mouth in protest but stopped when Sirius sent him a nasty glance. James snickered and Remus looked around.
"Okay then. Well, I turn to a Werewolf on the full moon, so my name should be Moony." He tapped the parchment and said, "Moony." They all watched as that name etched itself as well. "Okay. You two left."
Peter was squirming in his chair and biting his lip. "Well, James turns into a stag." He said matter of factly.
"No, really?" James rolled his eyes. "A stag? Peter, you don't think we know that?" Peter's pointly little nose twitched as he frowned.
"Just trying to help."
Sirius said, "Well, my name should be Padfoot." He said the name aloud and pointed at the parchment. All four leaned in and watched the name appear.
"Remus, you are too smart." James said. "Anyway...I'm a stag. He-ey...I can call myself Horny." Sirius laughed strangely and Peter giggled.
Remus sighed. "James, James."
"Remus, Remus. Remmy Lupin." Sirius said. "What are those pointy things on a stags antlers called? Like...the.....pr...pro..."
"Prongs?"
"Yeah, those." Sirius pointed at the map. "Prongs." As the last name appeared they heard footsteps coming down the dormitory stairway.
"Hide it!" James whispered. Remus snatched the map up and hid it in his robes. All four heads turned to the staircase to see a rather tired-looking Lily Evans coming sweeping down, nightrobes billowing.
She turned her gaze to them. " I should've known...." She walked over to them and pulled up a chair. "I don't know if I want to know...but....I want to know. What are you 'men' doing up so late?" She tied her auburn hair back and stared pointedly at them.
"We....er.." Peter stuttered. "Just....talking."
"Can't friends stay up and chat, Lily?" Sirius kicked his feet up on a footstool and sat back, his hands behind his head.
Lily tilted her head. "Well, when it's you four....who knows...."
James stood up and squeezed in the chair next to her. "So..how you doin'?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Sirius muffled laughter.
Lily pushed him away. "Stuff it." She took a handkerchief from her robe pocket and stuffed it in his mouth.
"HAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Sirius cackled most loudly. Remus smacked him in the head.
"Belt up, you idiot!" Sirius rubbed his face.
"Okay....I deserved that. And the one that James gave me. Right....,"He pointed to his arse, "Here." James's eyes widened and he lunged at Sirius, practically choking him.
Remus and Lily laughed, Peter was laughing so hard he was crying.
"Don't wet yourself, Wormy." Remus said to Peter. Peter bit his lip and tried to act cool in front of them.
"I won't, Remus. I'm not a baby..." They all turned their gazes back to the brawl that was soon taking itself around the common room floor. Sirius was laughing loudly, and James could be heard cackling. Soon, Sirius had James in a tight spot. He was sitting on Jame's stomach, grinning as he stuffed the handkerchief back in his mouth.
"Say Uncle." He grinned. James' eyes bulged out.
"A canf tha unglo." He repeatedly smacked Sirius in the gut. "et uf!"
Sirius, evidently taking pity on James, stood up and let him go. Lily was in hysterics, something that James winced slightly at.
Between laughs, she said, "I'm glad I found out. I'll let you boys have your fun. Toodles." She walked back up to her dormitory, stifling laughter.
James, having turned red and flushed, fell back into one of the squishy chairs. "Sirius, was that really necessary?"
"Yes." He replied solemnly. "Yes, it really was."
Remus, having recovered fastest, pulled the map out of his robe pocket and was fawning over it once more. "What should we call it?"
Peter twiddled his thumbs quickly. "You mean, like, a group name for us? Something that we can put on the map?" Remus nodded. "Okay. How about..the Secret Group of Magical Mischief and Mayhem?" He smiled, but, to his dismay, no one else smiled back.
Sirius took a seat next to Peter and slicked his hair back. "Mr. Pettigrew, is death an option that you've openly considered?" He pretended to push glasses up his nose.
Narrowing his gaze, Peter slipped further down into the cushion. "..."
Remus simply stared. "Well...I was thinking more along the lines of a Marauders Map. You know, it fits and all." He arched an eyebrow as the other three stared at him silently.
Sirius looked around before looking back to Remus. "Remmy..if you don't mind...what is a marauder? Keep in mind, you're talking to three fairly intelligent fellows here, but who have extremely small learning capacity." He grinned.
Remus exhaled deeply. "A marauder is like....a raider. A robber? Looter? Pick one. Basically, we raid the castle for hidden entrances and such, so, like I said before...it fits." The others nodded and Remus pointed his wand at the map which made the words 'Marauders Map' begin to etch themselves into the parchment slowly and in a very fancy script.
James, who had finally recovered from his embarassment, stood up and yawned. "What say you fine folks to a bit of sleep?" The four boys crept slowly up the staircase up to their dormitory, where Gerald McCoven lay fast asleep.
"Lucky to be him. He doesn't have a mischief-making rep. to keep intact." Sirius said as they passed Geralds four poster. "Gets to sleep." He yawned and fell on his bed, not bothering to close the curtains. Peter and Remus said good-night and fell asleep as well. James was left alone.
He sat on his bed thinking. He thought about Lily and how much he cared for her. He also thought about his friends and how lucky he was to have them. Finally, he lay down and put his hands under the cool side of his pillow. They hit something silky feeling and he sat back up, tearing the pillow from the mattress.
"My cloak! I'd forgotten where I put you," He whispered as the light silver material cascaded onto his lap. He opened his curtains to find the others curtains, except Sirius's, closed. James quickly put the cloak on as he was not tired and felt that a late night stroll around the castle was exactly what he needed.
He opened the portrait hole and climbed out quietly.
"Who's there?" Asked the Irish-accented portrait man, Patrick S. O'Malley. "Who's sneaking around at this hour?" James watched as the portrait scanned the hall. He stood in one place very still until Paddy finally gave up and closed his eyes again. James waited until long locks of red hair fell over the portraits eyes before he finally whisked down the hall.
James wandered down the many hallways careful not to run into any teachers patrolling or suits of armour, which were said to come alive and tattle on students out of bed. He kept his breathing low and his eyes focused on what lay ahead.
"All right Remus. All we have to do is sign it?" James pushed his glasses up and looked at his friend.
"Yes. Just point at it and say the name. Remember, they have to be completely coded." Remus bit his finger, deep in thought.
"HEY!" Shouted Sirius. "We're all Animagus!"
"Shhhhhhhhh!" James smacked him upside the head.
"Ow. Yeah" Sirius lowered his voice."So, lets use codenames with our animals?" He looked at the other three, waiting for a response.
Peter jumped excitedly in his seat. "I get to be Rat-Man!" He grinned maliciously.
Remus sighed. "Wormtail it is, then." He pointed at the map and said, "Wormtail." The name magically appeared at the bottom of the map.
Peter opened his mouth in protest but stopped when Sirius sent him a nasty glance. James snickered and Remus looked around.
"Okay then. Well, I turn to a Werewolf on the full moon, so my name should be Moony." He tapped the parchment and said, "Moony." They all watched as that name etched itself as well. "Okay. You two left."
Peter was squirming in his chair and biting his lip. "Well, James turns into a stag." He said matter of factly.
"No, really?" James rolled his eyes. "A stag? Peter, you don't think we know that?" Peter's pointly little nose twitched as he frowned.
"Just trying to help."
Sirius said, "Well, my name should be Padfoot." He said the name aloud and pointed at the parchment. All four leaned in and watched the name appear.
"Remus, you are too smart." James said. "Anyway...I'm a stag. He-ey...I can call myself Horny." Sirius laughed strangely and Peter giggled.
Remus sighed. "James, James."
"Remus, Remus. Remmy Lupin." Sirius said. "What are those pointy things on a stags antlers called? Like...the.....pr...pro..."
"Prongs?"
"Yeah, those." Sirius pointed at the map. "Prongs." As the last name appeared they heard footsteps coming down the dormitory stairway.
"Hide it!" James whispered. Remus snatched the map up and hid it in his robes. All four heads turned to the staircase to see a rather tired-looking Lily Evans coming sweeping down, nightrobes billowing.
She turned her gaze to them. " I should've known...." She walked over to them and pulled up a chair. "I don't know if I want to know...but....I want to know. What are you 'men' doing up so late?" She tied her auburn hair back and stared pointedly at them.
"We....er.." Peter stuttered. "Just....talking."
"Can't friends stay up and chat, Lily?" Sirius kicked his feet up on a footstool and sat back, his hands behind his head.
Lily tilted her head. "Well, when it's you four....who knows...."
James stood up and squeezed in the chair next to her. "So..how you doin'?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Sirius muffled laughter.
Lily pushed him away. "Stuff it." She took a handkerchief from her robe pocket and stuffed it in his mouth.
"HAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Sirius cackled most loudly. Remus smacked him in the head.
"Belt up, you idiot!" Sirius rubbed his face.
"Okay....I deserved that. And the one that James gave me. Right....,"He pointed to his arse, "Here." James's eyes widened and he lunged at Sirius, practically choking him.
Remus and Lily laughed, Peter was laughing so hard he was crying.
"Don't wet yourself, Wormy." Remus said to Peter. Peter bit his lip and tried to act cool in front of them.
"I won't, Remus. I'm not a baby..." They all turned their gazes back to the brawl that was soon taking itself around the common room floor. Sirius was laughing loudly, and James could be heard cackling. Soon, Sirius had James in a tight spot. He was sitting on Jame's stomach, grinning as he stuffed the handkerchief back in his mouth.
"Say Uncle." He grinned. James' eyes bulged out.
"A canf tha unglo." He repeatedly smacked Sirius in the gut. "et uf!"
Sirius, evidently taking pity on James, stood up and let him go. Lily was in hysterics, something that James winced slightly at.
Between laughs, she said, "I'm glad I found out. I'll let you boys have your fun. Toodles." She walked back up to her dormitory, stifling laughter.
James, having turned red and flushed, fell back into one of the squishy chairs. "Sirius, was that really necessary?"
"Yes." He replied solemnly. "Yes, it really was."
Remus, having recovered fastest, pulled the map out of his robe pocket and was fawning over it once more. "What should we call it?"
Peter twiddled his thumbs quickly. "You mean, like, a group name for us? Something that we can put on the map?" Remus nodded. "Okay. How about..the Secret Group of Magical Mischief and Mayhem?" He smiled, but, to his dismay, no one else smiled back.
Sirius took a seat next to Peter and slicked his hair back. "Mr. Pettigrew, is death an option that you've openly considered?" He pretended to push glasses up his nose.
Narrowing his gaze, Peter slipped further down into the cushion. "..."
Remus simply stared. "Well...I was thinking more along the lines of a Marauders Map. You know, it fits and all." He arched an eyebrow as the other three stared at him silently.
Sirius looked around before looking back to Remus. "Remmy..if you don't mind...what is a marauder? Keep in mind, you're talking to three fairly intelligent fellows here, but who have extremely small learning capacity." He grinned.
Remus exhaled deeply. "A marauder is like....a raider. A robber? Looter? Pick one. Basically, we raid the castle for hidden entrances and such, so, like I said before...it fits." The others nodded and Remus pointed his wand at the map which made the words 'Marauders Map' begin to etch themselves into the parchment slowly and in a very fancy script.
James, who had finally recovered from his embarassment, stood up and yawned. "What say you fine folks to a bit of sleep?" The four boys crept slowly up the staircase up to their dormitory, where Gerald McCoven lay fast asleep.
"Lucky to be him. He doesn't have a mischief-making rep. to keep intact." Sirius said as they passed Geralds four poster. "Gets to sleep." He yawned and fell on his bed, not bothering to close the curtains. Peter and Remus said good-night and fell asleep as well. James was left alone.
He sat on his bed thinking. He thought about Lily and how much he cared for her. He also thought about his friends and how lucky he was to have them. Finally, he lay down and put his hands under the cool side of his pillow. They hit something silky feeling and he sat back up, tearing the pillow from the mattress.
"My cloak! I'd forgotten where I put you," He whispered as the light silver material cascaded onto his lap. He opened his curtains to find the others curtains, except Sirius's, closed. James quickly put the cloak on as he was not tired and felt that a late night stroll around the castle was exactly what he needed.
He opened the portrait hole and climbed out quietly.
"Who's there?" Asked the Irish-accented portrait man, Patrick S. O'Malley. "Who's sneaking around at this hour?" James watched as the portrait scanned the hall. He stood in one place very still until Paddy finally gave up and closed his eyes again. James waited until long locks of red hair fell over the portraits eyes before he finally whisked down the hall.
James wandered down the many hallways careful not to run into any teachers patrolling or suits of armour, which were said to come alive and tattle on students out of bed. He kept his breathing low and his eyes focused on what lay ahead.