Derek Fugue opened his eyes.
He had been reliving the night of his Sorting for years. This time, he was laying down on the grass across from the tree that was nearby the lake outside of Hogwarts. His Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL exam had gone rather well, he had thought. It had been a little quick though, and he had had to rush through the last few problems. Even though he thought he had done rather well on the exam, that didn't mean that he wasn't drained. After all, it had been a very long week.
Derek sat up on his elbows, but this only served to show him the four boys he didn't want to see. Well, four of the boys, anyway. These four were his hallmates. Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and James Potter. The ones who had named themselves the "Marauders". No matter how much they pretended that they were not the Marauders, the whole school knew who they were.
And, for the most part, idolized them. This merely made Derek sick.
James Potter was playing with a snitch. Letting it go and then catching it at the last second. Derek sighed to himself. He was a Chaser and he had the gall to be showing off with something that was not even his job on the Quidditch pitch? Not that the girls minded, it seemed, but it was still amazingly cocky of the boy.
Sirius Black was lazing next to the tree, content to make any passing girl sigh at him and Potter (in that order). He had this bored look… but it only seemed to help grab the attention of the passing girls, who invariably giggled at both him and Potter on their way by. Derek sighed. He wished that Black would get over himself.
Peter Pettigrew sat in stunned silence, watching Potter with his mouth open. Derek laughed to himself as he shook his head. He often wondered idly why an idiot like Pettigrew was with the Marauders, when the other three were so… popular, brilliant, whatever. Derek had finally come to the conclusion that there always needed to be someone who was just a pair of hands. He did not, however, wonder why there were not five Marauders.
Remus Lupin was the only one of the lot who was in a respectable position. He was also the only one of the lot that Derek ever talked to. Remus was a quiet person by nature, but he could be intense when the situation warranted it. He had an air that just asked for respect, and he was from a decent family. Not associating with him would have been just… dumb. Especially since he was the only one of the boys in Derek's year that he ever talked to.
Such was the scene when a very bad thing happened. Well, bad for the people involved, but it was definitely to Derek's pleasure. Because the fifth boy that Derek didn't want to see was reading off to one side, and Potter had spotted him. Worse (or better), he had gotten a smile on his face. Derek's only reaction was that he raised his left eyebrow. This was going to get extremely interesting extremely quickly, and Snape was about to get another demonstration of how cruel the Marauders could be.
What followed was a crowd pleaser of amazing degree. Derek did not react exactly one with the crowd (he didn't exactly like the winners, though he truly didn't like the loser either), he still enjoyed it immensely. Lily Evans, mudblood and female prefect of the Marauder and Derek's year, got involved to help Snape, but he didn't want any of it. Derek was especially amused by that. It doesn't matter if she's a mudblood if she wants to help you keep your honor! But Snape was never one to make any sense.
Another amusing anecdote to the encounter was when everyone groaned because James Potter had once again asked Lily out. This time, it was as if he was making a deal. He promised that he wouldn't bother Snape in exchange for a date. Aware that this was a raw deal, Lily did not budge. Eventually, Snape was let down, and Lily was on her way after releasing some anger at Potter. Potter tried to call her back, to apologize, to have a chance at something…
But she didn't look back. The show was over. The people were beginning to scatter, and the Marauders were no exception to that rule. The only exception was Derek, who instead of leaving in any direction, simply laid back down. He was looking up at the clouds that slowly billowed across the blue sky. It was a beautiful early June day, and Derek gave thanks that the students at Hogwarts were allowed outside.
Lily probably went back to be with her friends; friends she made in her dormitory, just like most of the other students in the school. Derek sighed. Of course. He would be the exception, wouldn't he? Between the Marauders, Lily and the Gryffindor fifth year girls, there was him. Not in any group, and not welcome in any either. He had his fair share of pranks played on him by the Marauders, Snape and the other Blacks… more than his fair share really.
Fact was, he was a loner. Pureblooded, and proud of it, being the key thing, and being in Gryffindor was not a very popular combination. Pureblooded and proud in Slytherin was expected and even encouraged. While Potter and Black were not so much proud as… aware that they were pureblooded, and it didn't really affect them on a daily basis. Why had the hat insisted? He should be a Slytherin, not a Gryffindor. He was barely like any of the other strange characters that made up his own House.
A shout went up to one side, and Derek groaned. What now? He lifted himself onto his elbow to look at what was causing all of the racket. Ah, figures. Bellatrix Black was giving a mudblood the one-two. Derek looked around, but most of the crowd was gone, especially anybody who would be inclined to help the little girl. Derek sat up like he did for the previous show, but this time not nearly as amused. After all, the person he hated in the encounter was taking no beating at all.
It wasn't long after the cries became desperate did Derek's wand come out. He fiddled with his position delicately until it was perfect: he was laying on his side, holding his wand pointed at Black, but the wand was hidden by "lucky" folds of the robe. Derek stuck the tip just outside of the folds of his robes. "Rictusempra," Derek said, his voice low.
The girl's shouts and protests were silenced as suddenly as Black's laugh began. Now, that's more like it. Derek let the wand remain folded in his robes as he got up and walked toward the Castle. He had wanted to duel the idiot, but there was also the fact that he had had to help a mudblood to do it. So, no can do; not and keep his reputation, anyway. He would have to be satisfied, for the moment, with giving Black a lot of laughter, and not a lot to laugh about.
Silence of thought enveloped him as he made his way back to Gryffindor Tower.