Right, songs I don't own this chapter. The Unicorn (Irish song), Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (pic of that on my wall!), How Bizarre by OMC, Can't Get You Out Of My Head by Kylie Minogue, Romeo by Basement Jaxx, Laura by the Scissor Sisters and Can You Feel the Love Tonight- movie version. Because it's magic, the songs can come from any time. Yay!
"I am scarred for life." The Marauders walked across the grounds. James shook his head. "McGonagall… doing a striptease…"
Sirius gesticulated wildly. "Do you mind? I'm trying to repress those memories!"
Remus shrugged. "Ok, maybe this was a bad idea. We should've restricted it to the Slytherins."
Sirius threw his arm around Remus' shoulders. "That's my Moony," he smirked. "Always so good at looking back."
A Care of Magical Creatures was taking place as they walked past. "A long time ago, when the earth was green, there was more kinds of animals than you've ever seen. They'd run around free, while the earth was being born, and the loveliest of all was the unicorn. Now there was green alligators, and long necked gees, some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees, some cats and rats and elephants, as sure as you're born, the loveliest of all was the unicorn."
"Then again," Sirius sighed, his arm still around Remus, "it is kinda cool to see Professor Schwarzenegger singing about 'lovely unicorns'."
The Marauders were going to visit Hagrid. The trip had two motives. Firstly, they liked Hagrid and hadn't seen him for ages. Secondly, they wanted to convince him to give them Firewhiskey. Unfortunately, it started to rain. By rain, I mean that really horrible stuff which actually hurts when it hits you and manages to soak you on contact.
In unspoken agreement they ran to the hut, where they stood and hammered on the door.
"Hagrid! It's us! Let us in!"
"Come on! My hair's gonna go frizzy!" This statement earned Sirius several strange looks.
"Raindrops keep falling on my head, just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed…" Remus found a random bicycle propped against the wall and cycled off, still singing. Sirius and James shrugged at each other, and turned back to the door.
"Hang on." James held up a hand for silence. "It sounds like someone's crying. Hagrid? It's me, James."
"Go 'way," came the muffled reply.
Sirius leant against the door. "Come on, Hagrid," he whined. "Moony's gone mad, Wormtail's getting bedraggled and Prongs is a prat. Nothing new, but let me in. Before I too go totally mad. Ow!" This last came as James hit the back of his head.
Behind the door they could hear snufflings and movement as the door was unlocked. James pushed it and gasped at the sight. "Erm, Hagrid…"
The other Marauders piled in, including Remus (minus bike). "Why are you wearing a tutu?"
"The tiara I can understand, but a tutu?" Everyone carefully edged away from Sirius.
Hagrid blushed, making his cheeks match the colour of his tutu. "I dunno. It jus' kinda… happened."
"Bizarre."
"How bizarre. How bizarre, how bizarre."
"Ooh baby," sang James up high.
"Ooh baby."
"It's making me crazy," sang James.
"It's making me crazy."
"Every time I look around, every time I look around, every time I look around it's in my face." James sighed. "Remember: in the future, we never go with Moony's ideas, or trust Padfoot to carry out a prank."
---
It was lunchtime. So far there hadn't been any big songs, although the teachers had executed a mass waltz during dessert. Dumbledore stood, and everyone turned to watch him. "As you may have noticed, something has changed at Hogwarts. Everyone is singing rather more than normal. This state of affairs will continue." He paused, his eyes twinkling.
"I really want to know how he does that," Sirius whispered.
Remus hit him on the thigh. "Shut up, goit."
"You will therefore just have to put up with it. Could the Head Boy and Girl please come to my office now."
James leapt up, eagerly following Lily. When they got into the corridor he moved to walk beside her. "Evans, will you go out with me?"
"No. Potter, why do you keep on asking me, if you know what the answer's gonna be?"
"La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la (yes that is the right amount), I just can't get you out of my head, girl your loving is all I think about, I just can't get you out of my head, girl it's more than I think you think about."
Lily stared at him. "Kylie Minogue? Are you sure you're not just asking me out to cover up your sexuality?"
---
James was comfortable. His legs were thrown over one leg of the chair, and he was being nicely warmed by the fire. Peter was lying on the floor, almost catlike. Sirius was lounging opposite James, a book open on his lap.
"R-Moony!" Sirius waved frantically at the portrait hole, and Remus headed for their corner of the room.
He raised an eyebrow. "A book? How did you manage to find the library?"
Sirius shrugged. "Asked a first year."
James watched as Remus sat on Sirius. "So someone who's been here for one day knows where something is better than you do. And you've been here seven years. Poof."
Sirius shifted so that he was leaning against the arm of the chair, allowing Remus to lean against him. "Six years and one day, Mr Moony."
"I do apologise, Mr Padfoot."
"Damn straight, you should feel bloody apologetic. Hey, Maria!" Sirius waved across the room to the girl he'd been dating at the end of the last year. She scowled and walked over.
"You keep on giving me the hold-up, you know I wish you'd make your mind up, coz what we're getting is just so-so, you used to be my Romeo," she sang, jabbing her finger in his direction.
"What did I do?" Sirius leapt up, making Remus yelp as he landed on the floor.
"Not one letter did you send me! I wrote to you every day!"
Sirius shrugged. "I was busy sending letters to someone else."
"Fine! I hope she grows a dick, you bastard!" James looked down as Remus sniggered. Maria rushed off in floods of tears.
"Women." Sirius walked to a group of fifth years, and with a winning smile opened his mouth. "Laura, can't you give me some time? I gotta give myself one more chance, to be the man that I know I am, to be the man that I know I am. Won't you just tell Cincinnati? I'm gonna need your love, don't you give me your love…"
The girl giggled. "I have no idea who Cincinnati is, but ok."
"Seven o'clock, here, Saturday." She nodded eagerly. Sirius swaggered back to the fire and sat back on his chair, squashing Remus in the process. "Oh, sorry Moony."
"Padfoot," asked Peter, "have you ever been more than a day without a date planned?"
"Yes. There was a week in first year."
"Sirius isn't happy without a girl in every class," Remus muttered.
James leant forward, ignoring Remus' bitter comment. "Now we're on the topic of love lives, what am I gonna do about Evans?"
Sirius shrugged. "Never had a girl turn me down before, mate."
Remus hit his arm. "Be more sensitive, you stupid dog. Prongs, stop calling her Evans. Her name is Lily. Stop asking her out all the time, and be yourself when you're with her. Not the arrogant git you are in public, but how you are with us. You might want to stop hexing people in the corridor as well."
"What!" Sirius sat up, aghast. "What about Snivellus? You can't expect us to stop hexing him just so James can finally get a leg over." Sirius shut up when James' cushion hit him in the face.
"Snivellus is a special case." James stood, an intent look on his face. "Thanks, Moony. See you guys tomorrow."
Sirius hit Remus on the back of the head. "Idiot! I can see what's happening."
"What?"
"And you don't have a clue."
"Who? Me?"
"They'll fall in love and here's the bottom line: our quartet's down to three."
Peter hugged his knees. "And if she falls in love tonight, it can be assumed, his carefree days with us are history."
Remus leant his head on Sirius' shoulder. "In short, our pal is doomed."
The three Marauders sobbed into each others' arms.