The Marauders

Chapter 2

After the train ride to Hogwarts the four boys exited the train with all the other Hogwarts witches and Wizards. The First Years went off to the boats with the Grounds Keeper, and everyone else (yes, including the Marauders) went off to the carriages that took them to the huge entrance of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, although it was more like a castle than a school.

The carriage ride was amusing. The four boys were finally on Hogwarts grounds, therefore they were aloud to use magic! Throughout the ride various charms and spells were flashing colorful lights out the windows. Another year had begun!

The Marauders entered the Great Hall after the carriage ride, a huge room in the castle that could seat more than hundreds. There were four long tables in the room, each nearly extending the full length of the Great Hall. Each had a different color tablecloth; on the far left there was green for Slytherin, then next to that was yellow for Hufflepuff, blue fore Ravenclaw, and finally, at the far right, red for Gryffindor. The Marauders took a seat at Gryffindor table, Remus and Peter on the side next to the wall, James and Sirius across from them.

Sirius snickered. He muttered a charm underneath his breath and placed a small spell on the empty seat next to him. Luckily no one saw him, or so he thought. Professor Dumbledore stood up after the Sorting.

"Finally! We're almost started!" Sirius muttered.

"Precisely, Sirius." Professor Dumbledore boomed across the Great Hall. All heads turned to Sirius' direction. "Now, we will not be able to begin the feast until you take that spell off of the seat next to you." He smirked above his half-moon spectacles.

Sirius' jaw dropped. Remus and Peter smirked and snickered at him from across the table, James was trying to hold back a fit of laughter, and the whole of Hogwarts School was staring at him. Naturally, regaining his composure in a matter of seconds, Sirius did the thing he did best and stood up on the bench, soaking up the limelight, and bowed to Dumbledore.

"Of course, Headmaster. You have caught me already, you sly dog! That's one for you this year." Sirius put emphasis on the "dog" part, and the rest of the Marauders couldn't help but bury their faces in their hands from red-faced laughter.

"No pun intended, eh Padfoot?" James whispered.

Sirius kicked James arm as he bent down and took the charm off of the seat, smiling at Dumbledore. Most of the girls in the Great Hall leaned forward to get a good glimpse of Sirius.

"You may sit now, Sirius." Dumbledore smirked to himself.

"Yes, sir!" Sirius bowed again, once again drawing the attention of many girls, then sat back down next to James.

James could only shake his head as Sirius turned and smiled mischievously. "He doesn't know what he's in for this year." He laughed evilly under his breath and rubbed his hands together as he turned back towards Dumbledore to "pay attention" to his welcoming speech.

As Sirius turned, he couldn't help but notice that Estelle was sitting down Gryffindor table. She was a fifth year Gryffindor, so good looking and fair, and Sirius had never met her before? He stared in wonder. He surely would have noticed her. With a face like that he definitely wouldn't want to pass up the opportunity. But that wasn't the only thing that struck Sirius' interest; she had personality. A striking one, too. He sat watching her, leaning on his right arm.

Wait. Lily Evans was sitting next to her. Along with Sammy, the bookworm girl. Sirius laughed to himself in his head, she'd be a match for Remus.

Estelle sighed and leaned on her arm, apparently bored of Dumbledore's drawn out speech. She looked around the Great Hall until her eyes came to lay upon Sirius. She jumped, surprised that he was looking her way, then smiled and waved bubbly to him. Lily saw her gesture, turned, saw Sirius, then quickly engaged Estelle in a conversation. Just like normal. Lily was on a mission to ruin Sirius, he knew it…..he sighed.

"You like her, don't you?" a little whisper in Sirius' right ear said slyly.

Sirius jumped. "No!" He said automatically, blushing.

"What? Not admitting it, Padfoot?" James' voice was clear now. "And you're blushing? Usually you'd have already asked her out! What's different about Estelle? Isn't she like all the other girls?"

"No, she isn't." Sirius said sternly, turning towards James, who was grinning evilly. "She's totally-"Sirius stopped. He was about to defend her. Crap. Now James definitely knew.

"Ask her out."

"What?"

"Ask her out!"

Sirius blushed even redder. "But….."

"You do like her!"

"Do not!"

"Ha! Liar! Padfoot….don't you want-"

"Shh!" Came Remus' harsh tone. James and Sirius sighed and turned back to Dumbledore's speech, Sirius as red as a tomato, and James smiling like a devil.

After dinner in the Great Hall the houses went to their Common Rooms, then up to their dorms. All the Marauders shared a room, with one extra bed. They had not had an extra room mate since last year. Dumbledore had to move him because he was going nuts with all the pranks the Marauders played on him. They had done that, actually, to quite a few of the roommates they'd had over the years….Dumbledore had decided to give up finding a roommate to fill the empty space after one had to be sent to the Looney Bin. That brought back memories…..

Once they all entered the room Sirius did a belly-flop-stile-fall onto his four poster bed next to James' by the door, and Remus' on the other side. Peter was at the far end of the occupied beds, closest to the wall next to Remus. The farthest bed was left unoccupied.

"No roomy this year!" Sirius snickered as he rolled into his covers, stripping off his shirt and shoes as he went. He snuggled into the warm sheets.

"Hey, Moony!" James' yelled to Remus across the room, "Guess what?"

"Huh?" Remus asked, half not paying attention while he unloaded his trunk full of books.

"Padfoot's got a new girl."

"Really?"

"No I don't!" Sirius suddenly sat up in his bed, blushing.

Remus spun around, "What! Is the famous Sirius Black denying his love for the female race?" He gasped playfully. His attention was fully focused on James.

"Who is it?"

"Estelle Avery."

"You're kidding? After all these years he finally meets her?"

"Yup. And he denies that he likes her too!"

"I don't like her…." Sirius muttered.

"But you're blushing, Paddy." Remus snickered with James. "Do you think Sirius has finally found the girl he's going to fall head over heals for? I always thought she'd be the right match for him."

"Maybe." James grinned. "You should have seen him at dinner. He was staring at her the whole time!"

"That's what he was staring at!"

"Guys!" Sirius glared at both of them, sighed, and snuggled back into his four poster bed.

James and Remus snickered and started to finish unpacking their trunks. Peter had been unusually quiet, even on his terms. But no one seemed to notice, maybe not even Peter himself.

"So, when are you going to ask her out?" James prodded the almost-asleep Sirius.

"Mpherrumph." Came the muffled reply of Sirius, who was now almost fully submerged in his bed covers.

"Awww. Paddy's embarrassed." James grinned toothily.

Sirius didn't say anything. Remus cocked an eyebrow. Soon a soft sound of snoring was heard from underneath Sirius' covers.

"He can fall asleep anywhere, at any time, I swear." Remus said, turning back to his trunk. "Oh! Bets that Sirius asks Estelle out in a month!"

"Two months!" James snickered, pulling out a sack of coins, "How much?"

"50 Galleons!" Remus replied.

"You're on!"

"I bet he asks her in a week!" Peter finally piped up. "I'll put my galleons in now."

"Wow, Wormy! You're actually betting with us?" James asked, surprised.

"Why not?"

"Where should we put the Galleons?" James asked.

"Uh, how 'bout under the spare bed. Sirius never goes anywhere near that bed, except when he sleeps, and he's still three beds away." Remus replied.

"Good thinking, Moony!" Peter said.

"What's new?" James said, laughing.