It was Monday morning and it did not look like an auspicious beginning to what was going to be a very long week. James did not help matters at all. In fact, he worsened them from the beginning. It started with a swift throw of a pillow in Remus' direction that morning. The weather was not that great and migraines were abundant. The problem: Sirius had used up the entire supply of headache potion in last week's 'would-be-hangover-if-he-had-consumed-alcohol'.
Pulling himself out of bed in the morning was usually an unconscious procedure for Remus, but today, it was all the more difficult. It was cold and the strange but fortunately muffled sounds coming out of the occupied bathroom did not provide a ringing endorsement. Remus got out of his warm and soft bed and wrapped his mother's bathrobe around him. He had grabbed her bathrobe by accident when packing during the Christmas holidays. His friends laughed non-stop when they saw him come out of the bath with a large pink fuzzy bathrobe.
Remus opened up his trunk and pulled out his uniform and robe. It seemed like a lot of work changing into his uniform, when he could just wear his pajamas instead. Remus wasn't hooked on formalities, in fact he was known to spend most of the day in pajamas just like James and Sirius, however, a uniform infraction would get him nowhere.
Finally, the strange sounds from behind the bathroom door ceased and a dazed looking Sirius came out. His hair was shaped in the most unusual shape that Remus, Peter and James had ever seen. All three boys snorted in unison.
"Oh, you do that," said Sirius. He walked up to his mirror and began prodding his hair with his wand. His hair stood up at the front like a wall.
"Sirius, mate, what happened?" asked James, gagging with laughter.
"James Potter, do you not know enough not to ask?" Said Sirius. "I used that new stuff on my hair. Turns out it doesn't work. Wouldn't recommend it. Remus, could I borrow your hat?"
"Padfoot, I wouldn't lend you my hat if it was a choice between that and wrestling a dragon." Said Remus.
"Oh, come on Moony, I'll get you some chocolate if you help me."
"Yeah, I bet you will. It's in my dresser. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to use the loo." Remus grabbed the bathroom door and slid in. After using the bathroom Remus finally got into his uniform. Sirius was just finishing getting dressed and James and Peter were writing something that looked a lot like that day's Transfiguration assignment on a piece of paper.
"Alright, I'm done," said Sirius. With that he got up and slipped a watch onto his wrist.
"Where'd you get that from?" Remus asked. He had never seen that watch before.
"Oh, I picked it up somewhere," said Sirius who walked past Remus and out the door. Remus followed Peter and James down the stairs to the common room.
As they walked James pushed past Remus and Peter and ran to the common room entrance.
"Someone's hungry," Sirius called as he ran past.
"No, it's not that," said Peter passing Sirius. "Lily just walked out."
"Ahh, is that what he's doing," said Remus who was still in a state of early morning fog. They managed to catch up with James and Lily Evans outside the Portrait entrance. Lily seemed to be very angry. Her arms were folded and she was tapping her foot on the ground. A strand of her red hair was coming out of the tight bun on the back of her head. Her state of fury was made clear when she began to shout at James.
"James Potter, you know I do not listen to this. It means nothing. If anything it proves that you are an idiot."
"Nice going mate, I see you are winning the girl, as always," shouted Sirius.
"Sirius Black, you are not helping,' Lily said. 'Both of you are absolute morons. You have no compassion, generosity and appreciation for those around you. You think that everyone was made to dote on you and how great you are. Well, you are not so great. You are arrogant, and obnoxious and you are not considerate of other people's feelings. What matters to you? You don't have to tell me yourselves, I know that's the answer.
"You don't care about anything outside your little world inside your heads. Everything that does not belong to that only waits upon you or is instantly dismissed by you. You don't feel jealousy because you are so far away from feeling any kind of human emotion that sentiment is converted into a physical action and usually it's negative. You feel nothing for other people's lives, feelings and well-being. You do not understand that the only thing that we as a people have is each other.
"That is the only thing that we will have at the end of the day, only you don't have anyone but yourselves. It must be pretty lonely. I pity you. I pity you for your lack of remorse and compassion and the solitude that will follow you until you recognize your predicament." Lily took a deep breath.
"Yeah, well, we have each other," said Sirius after awhile. "At least we can keep each other company in the desolate, barren, bleak cesspool of our lives. Don't you think so James?" James was still staring at Lily.
"Lily Evans, I think I love you," he said. Lily exhaled very loudly. She turned around on her heel and walked away. "Lupin, we have to talk to professor McGonagall about hall duty this weekend," she called before turning down the stairs.
The day was not looking up. The four boys walked to the turning staircase only to have it turn away.
"This day is not looking up," said Remus.
"Why not?" asked Sirius. "My hair crisis actually turned out to be a good thing, what with this hat and all. James finally managed to have a Lily fling before breakfast and the weather can not get any worse."
"For all those reasons, this does not seem to be a pleasant day," said Remus stepping onto the staircase.
The Marauders walked to the breakfast hall in silence and took their typical seats as far away from the teachers as possible. James was staring down the table at Lily and Lily was glaring back at him. Finally Lily got up from her place and walked up towards James. James practically choked on his toast when he saw Lily coming towards him. Lily walked all the way up to James and actually sat beside him. She put her arm around his shoulder and smiled across the table at Remus who was sitting drinking his tea.
"Remus," she said with a slight inclination.
"Lily," Remus mocked.
"Remus, dear, we must asked the professor about this weekend's hall monitoring schedule.
"Lily, dear, can't you asked McGonagall, I have a really big headache, and I don't want to worsen it with a lecture on how I do not perform my office laudably."
"No, Remus, I'm afraid we have to do this together. It was your responsibility to ask last week, but I did it. Now, why don't we go up together and ask dear, madam McGonagall for our instructions." Responded Lily. Remus could not take it.
"Look, Lily, can't you go today, but I will for the next two weeks."
"No, Remus, It is really quite imperative that you help me today."
"Oh, for Merlin's sake," cried Remus. "Fine." With that, Lily and Remus walked up to the staff table. James was eyeing Lily in an astute manner. Lily went straight to McGonagall, dragging Remus by his arm. Remus stood with his hands in his pockets. McGonagall gave Lily the instructions and Lily was about to leave with Remus when she turned.
"Professor, I have to make an announcement."
"Is it vital Miss Evens?" asked McGonagall.
"Yes, maam, it's about hall way supervision, quite a few students are out of the common rooms after hours and they seem to be leaving their bags in the washrooms and such." Said Lily.
"Well I can just announce that." Said McGonagall.
"Oh, no, maam, I would like to take it upon myself, as my prefect duty to inform the school right now." Lily said boldly. Remus rolled his eyes. All he wanted was to take a sleeping potion and wake up in a week's time. Unfortunately, McGonagall granted Lily permission to give an announcement to the school.
McGonagall stood up and ringed her spoon against her goblet. The whole hall fell silent and everyone turned their heads to look up at the professor's table. Remus hated it when everyone looked at him. All he wanted to do was disappear into a crowd.
"Miss Evens, Gryffindorprefect has an announcement to make to the school." Said McGonagall in her booming Scottish 'Rob-Roy's-wife-about-to-be-kidnapped' voice.
Lily turned to the students. "Remus Lupin and I are prefects," she said. Remus shrunk back. Lily pulled him foreword by holding onto his sleeve. "I just wanted to do something," she said. At this she grabbed Remus by both of his arms spun him around to face her. Remus' first instinct was to pull away, but Lily had the strength to hold him. She pulled him towards her and before he knew it, Lily 'the-bird-that-James Potter-can't-even-get' Evens was kissing Remus 'has-never-been-on-a-real-date' Lupin. Remus was so shocked he didn't even think to pull away. Lily finally let go of Remus who fell on the ground instantly with no means of support. The whole assembly of Hogwarts students stood up clapping and cheering, practically breaking their goblets with their cutlery. Lily walked away and out the front hall. Before she walked out the doors, she turned around searched the crowd with her eyes to find James and gave him a wink and blew him a kiss. She then, turned around and walked out. Remus was still sitting on the ground in front of the shocked teacher's table.