20/01/05 A/N: I know they turn into a Fred-George kind of pairing (finshing each others sentences etc), but I kind of like Sirius and Remus this way. They're sort of cute. But then I'm biased. What do you think?

Sirius ambled through the portrait-hole, tearing up a slice of bread with long fingers and placing the chunks in his mouth. He flopped down into an armchair, kicked off his shoes and swung his legs over the armrests. He finished the bread and loosened his tie before whipping a bag of sugar quills from his robes and tucking in.

"Where've you been?" James asked.

"Detention," Black stated. "Want one?" He held out the bag and James leaned forward from his chair to take one.

"Funny kind of detention."

"My favourite kind," Sirius replied.

"How's that?" James said, gesturing for another sweet.

"The kind that involves missing dinner."

James looked puzzled.

Remus looked up from his book. "Flitwick again, was it?"

Sirius nodded. "Always thinks it's a punishment. Little does he know..." Sirius explained, tapping his nose and winking at Lupin.

"...The things that we do," Remus finished. "One-eyed witch?"

"Oh, the usual," Sirius answered. "One-eyed witch, Honeydukes," he raised the bag and winked at James, "down to good old Three Broomsticks -butterbeer, you see." James looked hopeful but both Black and Lupin shook their heads.

"For the House-elves?" Remus questioned lightly.

"Got it in one," Sirius smiled, popping another sweet into his mouth.

"So you went back through the witch, down to the kitchens -"

"Butterbeer for the House-elves, food for me..."

"And back here."

"Well done, Moony," Sirius said heartily. "Either you're getting good or I'm getting predictable. Have a quill."

Remus took one. James raised his hand.

"Yes, Prongs? A question?" Sirius turned to him, eyebrows raised.

"What the hell are you two on about?"

"Straight to the point, exactly what I like!"

"But what you always fail to do, Padfoot," Remus smiled.

"Well, you know me; just can't help myself. Anyway, Moony, grab the blackboard, I feel a lesson for dear Potter is in order. Pull up a chair, James, do."

James sat up and Remus joined him, perching on the edge of his seat, notebook in hand.

"Do you remember the time, oh, two or three months ago..."

"Must have been six, Padfoot," Remus intervened.

"Six, do you really think so?"

"I do. Remember, it was before the Ravenclaw 'get-together'?"

"Ah, yes, of course. The night we found the tunnel. So," he turned back to James, "the time -six months ago- that we found the one-eyed witch statue on the ground floor?"

James nodded. He'd bumped into the statue whilst running away from the caretaker.

"Good. But do you remember the passageway we found underneath her hunchback? No? Let me jog your memory. That Ravenclaw, uh, get-together...do you remember that?

James nodded again. That was an interesting night.

"Do you remember where we got all the food and drink from?" Sirius waited, anticipating and willing the penny to drop.

"The tunnel that led to Honeydukes! Of course. I'd forgotten about it completely."

"We know," Sirius grinned. "Which is why we have come up with...Remus, would you?"

"Certainly. Now pay attention, Prongs. We haven't given Wormtail this information as yet." He opened his notebook but didn't let James look inside. "Now are you ready? Behold...the Marauder's Map!"

"A map," Sirius began, "that shows each and every secret passageway in and around Hogwarts."

"A map," Remus continued, "that not only shows the routes in an easy-to-remember format, but that shows the whereabouts of each and every teacher, student and roundabout person in the vicinity."

James gaped. "Can it be done?"

"But of course!" Sirius grinned with a flourish. "You forget, we have the scholar extraodinaire; Moony!"

Remus bowed graciously and resumed his seat. Sirius jumped up, discarded his sweets and with a swish joined James; seating himself on the other arm of the chair.

"What do you think?"

"Are you in?"

"Moony..."

"Padfoot..."

"Prongs, if you decide to accept our offer," Sirius pointed out.

"And Wormtail, once he knows," Remus shrugged. "What do you say? I'll do the research; enchanting the parchment etcetera...we need you to help test it..."

"...discover the pathways..."

"...and generally help out."

"We can't do it alone." Sirius sat back. "Imagine, we'd go down in history."

Remus leaned forward. "Are you in?"

James nodded. "Of course I'm in!"

The two young men leapt up and towards the portrait hole.

"That calls for a celebration! The Marauder's Map is born. Three Broomsticks, Sirius?"

"Hogsmeade it is! Come along, Prongs!"

And James followed.